The last monthly demonstration of 2022 marks a year in which hundreds of women who came to seek sanctuary in the UK have been incarcerated in Derwentside IRC. Here is part of today’s powerful press release. Read our previous posts for more.
“The protest takes place at the end of a week following the announcement of plans for further legislation targeting those entering the UK in order to seek safety, and a Government promise to restart the Rwanda policy after a judgment on the latest legal challenge is made early next week.
Whilst the latest plans include the welcome inclusion of resources to address the backlog in asylum cases, which includes more than 100,000 people who have been waiting more than a year for a decision, they also contain commitments of further resourcing for border enforcement activities and the use of more poor-quality disused accommodation for those awaiting an asylum decision.
Rather than a radical re-thinking or change of direction from the third prime minister to be in office since the Hassockfield / Derwentside IRC opened, this week’s announcement marks a continuing commitment to failed border and immigration policies driven by populist rhetoric. The Government is once again running scared of having a compassionate and humane conversation about global migration and what the UK’s role in it can and should be.
So, once again, today’s protest will draw attention to the many lives that are being lost and blighted in the Channel, in detention, in unfit accommodation and in our communities. Protestors will pay their respects to the four people (including a child) known to have died in the icy waters of the Channel on December 14th and the others that remain missing. Like many other human rights’ organisations we believe safe passage is the best and humane solution to tackle people smuggling and support people seeking safety. “
No to Hassockfield Press statement, 17th December 2022
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