“I know about Detention at First Hand!”

The inspirational Agnes Tanoh from ‘Women for Refugee Women’ spoke powerfully to protesters at the monthly gathering outside the gates of Hassockfield on 16th October.

She inspired us all to keep up the struggle to prevent Hassockfield from opening as an immigration detention centre for women.

She urged us on, drawing on her own grim history of detention at Yarl’s Wood during her eight year struggle to be allowed the right to live in safety and freedom.

 

 

All photo credits: Simone J Rudolphi

This is what Agnes said to everyone at the gates of Hassockfield:

“Women for Refugee Women is proud of you and says a big thank you to you. Actions speak louder than words and this is what you have been doing by protesting here before, and today.

Together, we want to continue to fight until we succeed since we are fighting for a good cause.

• We are fighting for the dignity of human beings.
• We are fighting for women in distress.
• We are fighting against detention which is an inhumane practice.
• We don’t want to see this beautiful county be responsible for the harm and trauma of vulnerable women.
• We are fighting for excluded, persecuted, abused women seeking sanctuary.

We have to act and speak out to stop Hassockfield from opening.

Women for Refugee Women is here for two main reasons. Firstly, we – and you – don’t want women to be locked up because they are seeking safety and protection.

• Priti Patel stop locking up women.
• Home Office don’t break your promises.
• Home Office, you said no more no more detention centres. So why are you opening Hassockfield detention centre?

Dear friends, I experienced detention in Yarl’s Wood detention centre for more than three months.

Detention centres like Hassockfield are prisons. But they are worse in their conditions because you are locked up without trial, which is opposite to the basic principle of British Values.

Detention is a prison where you don’t know the length of your sentence.

We have to say something now, cry out the trauma now, cry out the distress and abuse and shout loud: Stop locking up traumatised women!

The second reason for our presence here today is that Hassockfield is also a removal centre. Do we want to be accomplices to deporting women at risk of persecution back to the country from which they fled?

Priti Patel wants to remove people in distress to their countries. Priti Patel wants to send them back to the fire they escaped from, from the wars they escaped. Is this how human beings should be treated?

Do you know that earlier this year, in Birmingham, a teenage Afghan, a 19-year-old boy, who feared the UK would deport him, killed himself?

Let us say no to removal.

I want to ask to Priti Patel, does she know how many UK citizens leave this peaceful country to live in other countries?

Numerous UK citizens live in other countries only because they want to and love it – so why does Priti Patel want to stop citizens of other countries coming to the UK when they have to?

Women coming here are fleeing war, persecution – not safe places.

Instead of locking up those vulnerable women with the intention of deporting them back to face more violence, we should be treating them with compassion and dignity.

Detention and deportation tear families apart; they traumatise children.

So let us shout together: No to Hassockfield!

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                                                                                                                                All photo credits: Simone J Rudolphi

Turn Agnes’ words into action. 

Join us on Saturday 20th November 12.00 – 2.00.

Help us to raise funds for a legal challenge  here

Read this press coverage  here