Call out for cameras, video activist and legal observers in Calais

Migration is Not A Crime | 16.07.2009 11:11

RE: Destruction of the Calais migrant camps, 'jungle' and deportation by charter to Afghanistan, next week Monday 20th- Thursday 24th July

If July 24 is the date of expulsion, of mass charter forced deportation to Afghanistan people will be be arrested (mass arrest) in the previous days. This is the time that witnesses to the mass arrests are necessary. Last year, in November 2008, police prevented any witness to have access to places of arrests targeted and prohibited. But they were not enough to girdle the whole area of the jungle. It really is an invisible situation for migrants in Calais, many exhausted and ill people, as well as many kids, who have mainly come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran... and the cause of the conflicts being.... It's not rocket science...

PLEASE COME WITH CAMERAS, VIDEOS and LEGAL OBSERVERS. We will do all we can to stand in solidarity with those at risk but it is essential that we can document what happens there and expose the reality of the British immigration policy.

Important dates to remember:

July 18: meeting at Calais, with the possibility of hosting

July 20: 9 am meeting with the prefect and charities

July 21: This would be the destruction of the jungle

July 24: deportation by charter

For more information see http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/open-statement-about-calais-situation-to-all-concerned/

Migration is Not A Crime

e-mail: bristolnoborders@riseup.net

Homepage: http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com

UK Border Agency given Police powers

There is an article in the free paper 'Metro' today, in the series entitled [ironically so, (see below)] 'Real People', in which a 28 year old Arrest Team Leader from the UK Border Agency describes her work..

Vikki Lacey says, "If I felt sorry for everyone I wouldn't get out of bed. I just have to treat them as cases rather than people".... "The raids are fun. I'm not tied to my desk and every day is different".

Describing how things have changed for the better since the time when, "We were very restricted in what we could do as we had to rely on the police", she tells Metro readers how, "Now we can be more proactive and go out with our own teams".... "I've been trained to use a baton and handcuffs" .... "Sometimes, however, you can get violence".

She explains how the emphasis now is on workplace raids but they still raid people's houses, an action which "We tend to do very early in the morning".

She does not reveal whether she is a member of either the PCS union or the Immigration Officers house 'union'. Of course, some of the people doing this work are indeed PCS members.