[Imc-uk-features] featue propsal: It is no crime to escape an illegal prison!

Sun Aug 5 20:09:27 PDT 2007

Title: It is no crime to escape an illegal prison!

Author: No Borders

Image:

Abstract:

Around 10.30pm on Saturday, a riot broke out in Campsfield immigration
prison, Oxfordshire, leading to <a href="/en/2007/08/377613.html">26
migrant prisoners escaping</a>. 12 have since been recaptured, while the
rest are still on the run. It followed a yard protest on Tuesday night
against the appalling conditions inside the detention centre, which is run
by Global Expertise in Outsourcing (GEO), and the discriminatory decisions
of Newport immigration court, which is used for bail hearings and appeals
involving Campsfield detainees. A a hunger strike was started on Wednesday
but was put on hold pending a meeting with Home Office representatives on
Friday. A further yard protest on Friday night was held as the meeting <a
href="/en/2007/08/377519.html">failed to meets the prisoners' demands</a>.
A <a href="">solidarity demo</a> at Campsfield House has been called for
Tuesday, August 7th, from 12 noon to 2pm.</a>

Last week, a revolt in a detention centre in Bari, Italy, led to at least
<a href="/en/2007/07/377310.html">35 migrants escaping</a>.

Links: <a href="http://www.noborders.org.uk">No Borders
UK</a> | <a href="http://www.closecampsfield.org.uk">Campaign to Close
Campsfield</a>

Content:

According to the Campaign to Close Campsfield, detainees were evacuated
into the yard around 10:30pm on Saturday after a fire in the centre's
makeshift kitchen (a Portakabin where the centre's detested diet of chips
is prepared). There was allegedly a risk the large gas bottles stacked
outside would explode. Then, at about 10:45, reports came in that a group
of detainees were smashing through the back gate. At about 11:30,
detainees were being marshalled back into their cells and locked in,while
a police helicopter was circling around. No fewer than eight fire
appliances were there. Hoses were being paid out although the kitchen fire
had reportedly been extinguished.

A while later a new fire broke out in one of the accommodation blocks and
detainees were evacuated into the yard again. Meanwhile, another group
were trying to break out but these did not succeed. About 6 police
vehicles were already at the side gate, with dogs and some officers
donning riot gear. There was a moment of
drama when the "spacemen" approached the penned-in detainees and were
pelted mud, small stones and insults.

Around 6:30 on Sunday morning, detainees were taken back inside and were
"locked down" with police lining the corridors of the centre.

A <a href="/en/2007/07/377369.html">statement</a> by detainees at
Campsfield House on :


Newport immigration court, which is used for bail hearings and appeals
involving Campsfield detainees, is very discriminatory compared to other
courts in the UK: the bail application and appeal success rate there is
less than 5%.

Living conditions for detainees are appalling. Campsfield is a health
hazard with 70% infection with flu. Paracetomol is the only medicine made
available; two weeks ago even this ran out. Campsfield was rife with
scabies, but only staff were issued with gloves. Although detainees are
held civil detainees, not convicted prisoners or prisoners on remand,
food, toilets and showers are a lot worse than in prisons. Some detainees
are being held even though they have won an appeal against deportation.
Others have clearly stated that they want to go back to their country of
origin but have still been waiting in Campsfield for months."

A <a href="/en/2007/08/377641.html">statement</a> by No Borders noted
that police have portrayed the escapees as criminals, urging members of
the public to "contact us immediately should they see anyone they believe
could be one of those involved." Seeking asylum, it added "is not a crime
and these people should not have been imprisoned. We call upon members of
the public to assist these vulnerable people." The BBC had proudly <a
href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6930000/newsid_6931800?redirect=6931801.stm&news=1&bbwm=1&nbwm=1&bbram=1&nbram=1&asb=1">reported</a>
that a local resident in Kiddlington tackled and detained one of the
escapee asylum seeker who asked him for help.

<h4>Campsfield immigration prison</a>

Campsfield House was converted into an immigration detention centre in
1993, amid a storm of protest from local residents [history]. The
so-called Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) is run by American company GEO
and is surrounded by 20ft fences, with razor wire on top. It holds up to
200 male asylum seekers at any time. Within 6 months of its opening, six
asylum seekers escaped following a rooftop protest. Regular demonstrations
and pickets outside Campsfield, mainly organised by the Campaign to Close
Campsfield, have since become a common occurrence.

In March this year, Campsfield witnessed <a
href="/en/2007/03/365388.html">another riot</a> when detainees tried to
intervene and stop a forceful 'removal' of a fellow Algerian detainee.
Following the 'disturbance', Robert Whalley CB was asked by the Home
Office to <a href="/en/2006/11/357432.html?c=on#c177623">extend his
investigation</a> into the Harmondsworth disturbance on 28-29 November,
2006, to that establishment as well. Among other things, Mr Whalley said:


"The Harmondsworth and Campsfield House disturbances were very different,
both in causation and in how they unfolded. Both occurred at a time when
recent population pressures, falling heavily on vulnerable fabric in a
hard-pressed detention estate, were accompanied by dislocation in casework
handling, especially in the case of Foreign National Prisoners, which
caused a build up of latent tensions."

"It did not take much to trigger these events. When they started, they
soon escalated, despite best efforts to prevent this happening. The
underlying causes are still there and, without any changes, the same thing
could happen again at either establishment."

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