Update 18 December 2021: See here for depth information about home office border security plan: https://corporatewatch.org/home-office-set-to-advertise-385-million-private-border-security-contracts/
Status Now Statement: AT and WITHIN the UK’s Borders: StatusNow4All identifies with everyone in transit and everyone who has died in transit.
People have moved around the world for many reasons through time, and they still do. In their attempts to reach what they perceived to be a toehold where they and their families might begin to become safe, consider how many of these people have died because obstacles have been put in their way on land or in the water. We don’t know the numbers.
We do know that the overt and systematic militarisation of the European Union borders began in 2004 when Frontex (funded through the European Commission) were contracted.
In July 2021 a condemnation of Frontex’s actions failing to protect asylum seekers rights was published.
Now, in the wake of the most recent drownings in the English Channel, networks up and down Britain are mobilising to communicate their complete condemnation of the Government’s immigration control systems, AT and WITHIN the UK’s borders. Every time people plan and work together through such mobilisations, we strengthen the bonds committed to transforming the way the migration system works and stopping the deaths and the suffering.
We must achieve this transformation.
There is no room for competition, only for constructive communication, connection, correction, collaboration, coalition and co-operation.
There is room only for language that unifies. When the CEO of the Refugee Council is reported by the BBC as having differentiated between ‘legitimate refugees’ and others, the Network perceives such language use by the media as damaging, inaccurate, and deeply irresponsible. (Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-59406632/page/2])
There are no shortcuts either. Within the borders of Britain there are millions who, every day, re-commit to surviving all the violations that come with having precarious status: not having equitable access to housing, healthcare, food and safety. How many of Status Now’s signatory organisations and individuals include people who, themselves, have crossed by land and sea?
So many.
StatusNow4All identifies with everyone in transit and everyone who has died in transit.
Our listings on the planned mobilisations in solidarity with the people who have drowned can be viewed here: https://statusnow4all.org/channel-crossings/
And Status Now signatory JCWI has created these resources:
A Briefing for MPs on what needs to change. Please will you take a moment today, to send a copy to your MP https://www.jcwi.org.uk/briefing-tragedy-in-the-channel and urge them to work for a humane, realistic, compassionate approach to refugee protection.
Ask your MP to stand up for refugee protection https://www.jcwi.org.uk/stand-with-refugees
27 November 2021: Demonstration in Coventry:
Loraine Mponela’s poem for today:
Sad we are here again for vigils
Waking up to the news of 27 deaths is even more shocking
I hear some people say in Calais they are in a safe country
When did the Calais jungle become a country?
Nobody would choose to drown, a brief life
Should we really be blaming? I ask you Priti patel -looking into the eyes of dead victims and telling them they are wrong
This is not the time to blame the so called people smugglers Boris Johnson
Have you asked yourself what has created people’s smugglers?
Is it not the tyranny of war, in poor places that can not even afford guns or bullets
Yet your big corporations steal rare earth minerals and send guns and ammunition in exchange
Because there is no drowning in boardrooms and skyscraper offices,
Children drowning in seas are victims of billion pound profits and corrupt politicians who step on dead bodies to collect their hefty pay cheques while widows weep
This is the time to bring safe route for ALL refugees and end your racist policies
I sometimes say this and I will quote myself here: I want to sit with my grandchildren and when they ask what were immigration controls I will answer they were a racist tool used to divide us in which they will then ask “what’s a racist?”
Demonstration In London:
