At 9pm tonight (Monday 14th July 2014) 60 detainees at Harmondsworth mens immigration detention centre began an overnight demonstration, occupying the courtyard. They are demanding that all those on the now unlawful Detained Fast Track (DFT) system are taken off DFT and released.
Following last weeks High Court decision ruling the operation of DFT unlawful, detainees have been organising inside detention centres, gathering petition signatures on a petition as follows….
We are detainees in Colnbrook. The High Court has said the way fast track is operated is unlawful. That means the decisions in our cases are the result of unlawful treatment. We demand:
1. We are taken off fast track and released now
2. All decisions and removal directions in our cases are cancelled
3. We are able to bring new asylum cases under fair conditions, not in detention.
Over 200 detainees have so far signed the petition.
Tonights protest was sparked by the imminent charter flight that will see 270 people deported to Pakistan, the majority of whom are on DFT – this is a gross miscarriage of justice. There are two more charter flights in the coming two weeks.
Movement For Justice (MFJ) will be holding an emergency demonstration at the Home Office, Marsham st. tomorrow (Tuesday 13th July) at noon in support of the Harmondsworth protesters and presenting their demands.
MFJ have released the following statement:
“Last week the High Court ruled that the way Fast Track has been operated is unlawful. This ruling is a victory for the movement, a victory created by the struggles, resistance and protests of immigrants and asylum seekers in detention and their supporters.
The real meaning of the judgement is that everyone who has received a refusal, lost an appeal or been deported is a victim of unlawful treatment – a miscarriage of justice.
The only just response to the High Court decision is to release everyone on Fast Track, cancel all the refusals and removal directions given on Fast Track, and allow the victims of this system to bring new claims that they can pursue under free and fair conditions.”
FOR MORE INFO AND TO SPEAK TO THE PROTESTERS CONTACT MFJ ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS:
Karen – 07535637147
Atonia – 07930302263
Tony – 07587693316
