END INDEFINITE DETENTION Campaign Pack
#ITSABOUTTIME CONTENTS OUR CAMPAIGN 3 WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? 4 WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? 5 RUNNING YOUR CAMPAIGN 6 EVENT IDEAS / ACTIVITIES 8 IMMIGRATION DETENTION TESTIMONIES 9 SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE 12 FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES 13 THREE STEP GUIDE TO LOBBYING YOUR MP 14 Image: Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre, Middlesex. Graphic design by VisualFiction Ltd. www.visualfiction.com
OUR CAMPAIGN Indefinite immigration detention is cruel and unnecessary thousands of people are losing hope. Campaign rollout As supporters and members of Liberty, we need your help to raise awareness locally in your communities, schools, workplaces and advocacy groups of the devastating effects of indefinite immigration detention and the need to bring in a 28-day time limit this year. Now is the time to start helping us achieve this goal by taking our campaign actions and reaching out to friends, family, colleagues and people in your networks. This campaign pack contains the following materials and resources: Key messages and branding Ideas for events and activities A Poster Testimonies Badges Photos We encourage you to tailor these materials to meet your community or network s needs. IT S TIME TO END INDEFINITE IMMIGRATION DETENTION NOW #ItsAboutTime #28days #Time4aTimeLimit CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES Our aim To end indefinite immigration detention in the UK this year, by ensuring the Government introduces a 28-day time limit. Our strategies 1. To raise awareness of the brutal and unjust reality of indefinite detention. 2. To share the stories of those who have experienced indefinite detention. 3. To lobby politicians from all parties to make the human rights arguments against indefinite detention. 4. To bring together advocacy groups, activists and concerned people to say with us IT S ABOUT TIME we end this cruel practice. www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk 3
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? In prison, you count your days down in detention you count your days up Souleymane, former detainee, held for three-and-a-half years Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre, Middlesex No limit, no justice The UK is the only country in the EU that locks people up in Immigration Removal Centres (detention centres) with no time limit on how long they can be held. They have no idea when they will be freed. No judge authorises their incarceration. At any given time, more than 200 people in detention have been held for over a year. As of June 2017, the longest a person had been detained was 1,514 days. That s over four years of a person s life. Four years held in conditions that repeatedly fail to meet necessary standards of safety, with instances of fatal use of restraint, filthy and overcrowded conditions and allegations of sexual abuse. The human cost of detention Beyond the evidence of inhuman and degrading treatment, NGOs have highlighted the inadequacy of basic services. Initial health screenings often omit crucial questions about trauma or mental health. Detainees who suffer from medical or psychological conditions routinely wait at least two weeks to be seen by a doctor. Medical evidence shows that mental health conditions deteriorate after just one month s detention. The system is harming people already at risk. The most vulnerable groups in detention include asylum seekers, children, elderly people, pregnant women and survivors of torture, trafficking and rape. One former detainee of Yarl s Wood described the detention system as torture heaped upon torture. Investigative journalists have lifted the lid on the shocking abuse and neglect of detainees in Brook House and Yarl s Wood. People are enduring these conditions with no idea of when they may be released or what their lives will look like after detention. It s no wonder people are giving up hope. In 2017, six people died in detention four were self-inflicted. Shocking evidence released in April 2018 revealed that at least one person a day is self-harming in UK detention centres. This is the brutal reality for thousands of people. We cannot allow people to continue suffering this way. It s about time we stopped this inhuman practice. 4 www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? 1. #Time4aTimeLimit People from different walks of life and political beliefs are joining together to call for a 28-day limit on immigration detention. 2. Change the law There is no better time to make this happen. Before we leave the EU, the Government will publish a law which establishes our post-brexit immigration system. We must grasp this opportunity to take a crucial first step towards ending suffering and insecurity for thousands of detainees. 3. Speak up for detainees As a society, we have a responsibility to speak up about the brutality of the immigration detention system. Together we can raise awareness within our communities and call on the Government to take long overdue action. Tell your friends and family, your colleagues and networks and your local MPs to support our campaign and help us end indefinite immigration detention. Liberty at the Refugees Welcome march, 2017 The protest is about their system of indefinite detention Help us out there, to get our voices out. V*, detainee in Yarl s Wood, one of the hunger strikers of March 2018. www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk 5
RUNNING YOUR CAMPAIGN Take action now Visit www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/ end-indefinite-detention for social media tools and more What is campaigning and how can it help? Campaigning is a powerful tool it can be the quickest and most successful way to effect change. One of the best ways to speak up about an issue is to plan an event in your local community and raise awareness among your networks. You may know people who are already passionately campaigning against indefinite immigration detention or maybe people around you have very little or no knowledge about what is taking place. Either way, everyone can benefit from a thought-provoking event that explores the key issues and inspires everyone to take positive action. Where do I start? There are many types of events and activities you can organise Liberty has included some examples in this booklet. Every campaign event will be different, but we have highlighted below our five key questions to help you plan your day of action. 6 www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
Ask yourself the five Ws WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO, WHY? 1. What will the event be? Think about what type of event you want to hold. Will it be a discussion group, a panelled event or something more interactive? Are there people you could invite to speak on these issues? Make a plan for what you want the event to look like. Think about timings, speakers, resources needed, logistics such as tables, chairs, whether you might need PowerPoint facilities etc. We have included some examples of events and activities in this booklet, but don t be afraid of getting creative! 2. Where will the event be held? Do you have an accessible venue space that would allow you to host the event? It could be a local school, church, town hall or community space. Contact your venue of choice as soon as possible. If it is in the workplace (a meeting room) or in a community group, make sure you get permission to use that space for this purpose. 3. When will you hold the event? Make sure you give yourself enough time to plan the event and publicise it to your audience this will ensure that everything runs smoothly and you have the maximum amount of people attending. 4. Who will be your audience? Think about the people you want to invite and target for the campaign. It could be friends, family, colleagues, a community group, a school, or anyone you think would or should have an interest in this issue. Consider inviting your local MP and local paper to attend. Contact potential attendees as soon as you have a venue, date, time and structure for your event. Use social media to publicise your event and to mobilise more people around this issue! 5. Why are you holding the event? Never lose track of the purpose of your event. You want to raise awareness about the problems of indefinite immigration detention and ask people to support the call for a 28-day time limit. Refer to our campaigning objectives to remind yourself of the key messages you want to get across. www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk 7
EVENT IDEAS ACTIVITIES Lunchtime forum Hold a lunchtime event in your workplace to explain the issue to your colleagues and encourage them to undertake some campaign actions. Indefinite detention workshop in your community group, hold a workshop incorporating a few of the activity ideas on this page, spending 15-20 minutes on each. You could invite someone from Liberty or another advocacy group working in this area to help facilitate the event. Call to action meeting hold a public meeting in your local school, community hall or place of worship to explain the problems with indefinite detention and the suggested solutions. Encourage people to take action and spread the message. Panel discussion invite your local MP, faith leaders, journalists, someone who has experienced detention and/or community members who may have an interest or insight into this issue to speak as part of a panel. Ask them to endorse the campaign for a 28-day time limit. INFORM Explain the issue to people using the What is the problem? and What is the solution? sections of this booklet as guidelines. Also see our FAQs on immigration detention for further information. SHARE Ask people to volunteer to read the testimonies in this booklet out loud to the group. Discuss them after. DISCUSS Use the photos included in this pack. Ask people to discuss them in small groups. Give them interesting conversation starters. Then ask them to feedback to the group and share thoughts on the photos. LOBBY Come up with an action plan together on how to raise the issue with your MP, using the how to lobby your MP worksheet provided in this pack. FOCUS If you are holding an event in a school or with parents, look at the issue of children in detention to engage your audience. Indefinite detention campaign group convene a small campaign group of your friends, family, colleagues or neighbours to discuss the key issues and what you can all do as individuals to further the campaign. Use some of our activities to guide the group. Suggest meeting once a month to review updates and advance action plans. Migrants Speak Out if you are a migrant, part of a migrant campaigning group, or live in a community with many migrant families, see whether anyone would feel comfortable and interested to share first-hand or secondhand accounts of experiences in detention by speaking at an event [see the Support and Guidance section before approaching this]. PROTEST Plan a demonstration in your local community, calling for a 28-day time limit on immigration detention. You can make banners and posters to bring attention to the cause. FOLLOW UP Encourage people to go online and undertake our other actions through the interactive Campaign Toolkit. NB: Do send us pictures of any events or activities you run. You can post them on social media and tag @libertyhq or email us at: membership@libertyhumanrights.org.uk. 8 www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
Women in Yarl s Wood IRC, Bedfordshire IMMIGRATION DETENTION TESTIMONIES These testimonies were collected and kindly shared by Detained Voices. You can read more first-hand accounts on their website detainedvoices.com. P*, Yarl s Wood immigration removal centre (IRC) I am one of the detainee[s] in Yarl s Wood IRC along with my husband. It has been almost six months that we have been detained. It is a very long time for someone to be detained but I can feel that my thoughts are not that important and valued as I am an immigrant. I and my husband have done everything to stay in this country legally. We have paid taxes and spent our precious youth struggling in this country. My husband came to [the] UK as a student, finished his degree, got post study work and [a] work permit as well, but life had different plans and things did not go well. Our visa was curtailed as the licence of the company who sponsored my husband was revoked. This six months time period which I have spent and am still spending in Yarl s Wood has made me a completely different person. I am not the bubbly, I am suicidal and only think about ending my life to put a full stop on this everyday suffering. P*, detainee in Yarl s Wood, held for at least six months. *not their real names www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk 9
jolly, and full of life person which I was before. That person is lost in this detention centre. It has been [a] long time since I have eaten properly. I don t get any sleep at night. I have lost [a] huge amount of weight, but my physical health and appearance is the least of my worries at the moment when compared to my mental state, which is getting worse day by day. I am extremely depressed [ ] I get panic attacks and anxiety. I get scared of every footstep [which] pass[es] by the door of our cell. [ ] I am suicidal and only think about ending my life to put a full stop on this everyday suffering, even though I try very hard to keep myself calm and composed and to stop thinking about harming myself. I know if something wrong happens to me, it will not bother the Home Office as I, along with all other detainees, are just numbers for them rather than human beings. S*, Yarl s Wood IRC, one of the hunger strikers of March 2018 [ ] the system we are fighting against is truly unjust, unethical and wrong on every level, we do not feel as though we have achieved much as the Home Office continues to break existing laws and their own guidelines by detaining vulnerable people, and people that cannot be removed and instead are detained indefinitely and forced to fight their cases while incarcerated, putting them at a great disadvantage. We do have hope that people are starting to wake up to what is really happening in this country that likes to present itself to the rest of the world as a leader in human rights and civil liberties. F* recounting experiences of a friend who died in detention, Morton Hall IRC He was detained for years now and the Home Office could not remove him because they couldn t get travel documents. And on Monday they took him to hospital and he died today. [ ] We are told the focus of detention is removal. But I I think it s politics. I can t justify it. It s very unfair. This is a country that promotes human rights they are the first ones to do so. F*, detainee in Morton Hall, his friend was held for years and died in detention. don t see the justification for detaining someone for one year, two year[s], for three years. And you re telling me the purpose is to remove people? For a lot of people here, it s like that. I m a person in a wheel chair and I ve got polio in my right leg [ ] So I Women in Yarl s Wood IRC, Bedfordshire don t think there s a justification for keeping people in here. In this prison. [ ] I think it s politics. I can t justify it. It s very unfair. This is a country that promotes human rights they are the first ones to do so. They are at the forefront of women s rights and this kind of thing. But what would the rest of the world think about this. It s not right. It s not proper. C*, Brook House IRC [ ] They have kept me in here for 50 days [ ] I have no hope left in this country. I [have] become different, I don t know who I am. I start to believe I am [a] criminal because I am here. I am full of depress[ion]. I can t be strong enough. I spent one year [trying] to come to this country [ ] I lost my time, I lost my life, I lost my family. I came for a future. People come for this. They are thinking about us wrongly. They are doing whatever they want with us. I complain[ed] in my country, which is why I ran from my country. But I didn t leave my country to come to one without human rights. But this is happening to so many people. [ ] I have a friend, they [were] saying to him, We will deport you, we will deport you and after six months he goes crazy. He says, If you want to deport me I m ready, I don t want to stay in this country like this. But 10 www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
they still don t deport him. This happens to so many people they don t want us in this country but they don t deport us. [ ] In this place many things will happen but how will people know? We are behind the walls, they cannot see it. It will shock you. Fifteen hours lock[ed] up every day. It is not [a] detention centre, it is prison for us. V*, Yarl s Wood IRC, One of the Hunger Strikers of March 2018 The protest is about their system of indefinite detention [ ] They detain people who have appeal rights, who are reporting every month. Why would they detain people who comply with their rules to go and sign? Especially those who have been in the UK for more than 15 years. And without any notice not even to your solicitor! They detain people who came to this country as minors and who are culturally British. They wait until they are 18 and then They have kept me in here for 50 days I have no hope left in this country. I [have] become different, I don t know who I am. I start to believe I am [a] criminal because I am in here. C*, detainee in Brook House, held for at least seven weeks. they are detained [ ] The sad thing is, they detain these young people. They don t even know anything about the country they [were] born. Why do they detain them? You keep them here for more than a month, that s torture enough. And then when they get deported many commit suicide because they are not accepted in any community and they don t know anyone there. They ve grown up here, they ve established their lives here. [ ] They will tell you that they have proper medical facilities. But you will wait for a month to see a doctor. [ ] After three days of hunger striking, we don t know what is going to happen. But we have given the Home Office our viewpoints. [ ] Please take action to talk to the Home Office. Our voices aren t heard because we are in here. [ ] Help us out there, to get our voices out. It s important that people can hear our anger. Entrance at Yarl s Wood IRC, Bedforshire www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk 11
SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE A sensitive and compassionate approach Talking about detention can be distressing for some people so if you have experienced detention yourself or are approaching a former detainee to speak at an event, remember these key considerations: 1. Approach people with compassion, sensitivity and understanding do not have any expectations and do not pressure anyone to participate. 2. People should only share their experiences if they feel absolutely comfortable doing so. 3. People should feel free to talk about any aspect of their experience in detention they should not feel limited or constrained in their choices. 4. Any event must talk about issues sensitively and carefully, particularly when recounting trauma, abuse or exploitation. Have a content warning at the beginning of the event to ensure everyone attending can determine whether they feel comfortable to be in that space. 5. Offer further resources and signpost attendees to support if anyone is affected by the subject matter discussed. Who to contact If you or any participant at your event is adversely affected by the content matter discussed, you can seek advice and support from the following groups: LIBERTY S ADVICE AND INFORMATION LINE For advice on making complaints in detention and other related matters you can speak to one of our Advice & Information officers on 0845 123 2307 or 020 3145 0461, at these times: Monday 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Wednesday 12.30pm to 2.30pm, Thursday 6.30pm to 8.30pm. BAIL FOR IMMIGRATION DETAINEES Call the project on 0800 917 93 97 or 01304 201 535 (open Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri 10.00am 1.00pm). SOAS DETAINEE SUPPORT Email s.det.sup@gmail.com or phone 07438 407 570. Please note this number is primarily for detainees to call. If you are not detained but have questions about their work and would like to speak to them on the phone, please send them an email first. DETENTION ACTION Freephone for detention support on 0800 587 2096. ASYLUM AID Email advice@migrants.org.uk or call the advice line on 020 7354 9264. FREEDOM FROM TORTURE Visit freedomfromtorture.org/webform/7807. WOMEN FOR REFUGEE WOMEN Phone 020 7250 1239 or email admin@refugeewomen.co.uk. HELEN BAMBER FOUNDATION Email reception@helenbamber.org or phone 020 3058 2020. JOINT COUNCIL FOR THE WELFARE OF IMMIGRANTS Call 020 7251 8708 or email info@jcwi.org.uk. 12 www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES On indefinite detention Liberty, submission to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into immigration detention http://bit.ly/2l3pcgp Liberty, background to immigration detention http://bit.ly/2jcpwa7 Liberty, End Indefinite Detention http://bit.ly/2y5hl4p Amnesty International UK, Home Office use of indefinite immigration detention causing serious harm http://bit.ly/2y5nqyp The Bar Council, Injustice in Immigration Detention Perspectives from Legal Professionals http://bit.ly/2ssrzr3 On vulnerable adults in detention Women for Refugee Women, We Are Still Here http://bit.ly/2y4cdcj The Detention Forum, Rethinking Vulnerability in Detention: a Crisis of Harm http://bit.ly/2jllsco Medical Justice, Mental Health in Immigration Detention Action Group: Initial Report http://bit.ly/2t8u01t On children in detention Refugee Council, Children in Detention http://bit.ly/2lmaguj Amnesty International UK, Child detention: the powers that the Home Office won t let go http://bit.ly/2l4y0rl The Children s Commissioner, Shining a light on the experiences of children in detention in England http://bit.ly/2mmeymr I know if something wrong happens to me, it will not bother the Home Office as I, along with all other detainees, are just numbers for them rather than human beings. P*, detainee in Yarl s Wood, one of the hunger strikers of March 2018. www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk 13
THREE STEP GUIDE TO LOBBYING YOUR MP STEP ONE: Understanding the purpose of lobbying Campaigners can use lobbying to bring important issues to their MP s attention. MPs have the power to make significant legislative and policybased changes and don t forget THEY WORK FOR US. Your MP can raise important questions in the House of Commons and write to members of the Government on your behalf. So telling your MP what issues your community is concerned about and what they can do to help is a crucial way of ensuring our elected representatives are helping the people they serve. Lobbying can include a number of actions, such as sending letters to your MP, meeting with your MP, organising a rally or signing a petition. The more people you encourage to contact your MP about the same issue, the more likely they are to do something about it! STEP TWO: Choosing how to lobby Writing to your MP Tweet your MP and encourage others to do the same. Go on our website and write a postcard to your MP using our online tool. Find out who your MP is via: www. theyworkforyou.com. You can also call the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272 (10.00am to 12.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm Monday to Friday). Meeting your MP You can also go to one of your MP s surgeries. Some will be drop-in sessions, while others may require a pre-arranged appointment. Call your MP s office to check what the process is in your local area and for future dates. Make sure you book an appointment/attend well in advance as MPs often have lots of requests and you will want to ensure your issues are on their agenda! 14 www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
STEP THREE: Preparing for a meeting with your MP BACKGROUND INFORMATION What party is my MP a member of? Are they a front or back-bencher? How have they voted in the past on similar issues / what is their current stance on this issue? PLANNING DISCUSSION POINTS FOR YOUR MEETING What do you want to achieve?... What are the main arguments you want to put forward and what counter-arguments can you pre-empt?... Does it have any personal impact on you/your community? If not, talk about the broader implications? What do you want your MP to do to help what exactly are you asking them for?... TOP TIPS: Make sure you ask your MP to keep in touch and update you on what they do following your meeting. Give them your full name and email address so they can contact you. If you have attended a meeting, send a letter/email afterwards, thanking them and summarising what you discussed this will keep things fresh in their mind and remind them of the actions you have asked them to undertake. Send us a copy of any letters or notes from meetings you have with MPs and any replies you may receive. We would love to hear about the impact you are having and it would also better inform our policy and campaigning work. www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk 15
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