We congratulate and offer our support and solidarity to students at the University of Sussex who have occupied their university against the threatened deportation of non-EU, international student, Luqman Onikosi.
The students have occupied in pursuit of the demand that Luqman be awarded his MA (for which he has completed his work and paid his huge fees), and that the University of Sussex makes a public statement against his proposed deportation.
Luqman has been diagnosed with a life-threatening liver condition due to having contracted hepatitis B, an illness that had already seen the loss of two of his brothers back home. His condition, though debilitating, is manageable while he receives treatment. If deported to Nigeria, however, where such treatment is not available, it is almost certain that he will meet the same fate as his brothers.
Against a background of anti-immigrant scapegoating and the refugee crisis in Europe students and staff must stand together in defence of overseas students like Luqman who face the ending of their university careers.
We, the undersigned, support the Sussex occupation, and we call on the Vice Chancellor and the senior management of the University to press the Home Office in a public appeal to grant Luqman leave to remain.
We call on students and university staff across the UK to join the Stand up to Racism protests on Saturday 19th March in London, Glasgow and Cardiff.
Elizabeth Lawrence (Sheffield Hallam University), UCU President
Douglas Chalmers (Glasgow Caledonian University), UCU Scotland President
Sean Wallis (University College London), UCU NEC member
Marion Hersh (University of Glasgow), UCU NEC
Ioanna Ioannou (University College London), UCU NEC
Bruce Heil (Open University), UCU NEC
Carlo Morelli (Dundee University), UCU NEC
Patricia McManus (University of Brighton), UCU NEC
Lesley McGorrigan (University of Leeds), UCU NEC
Sean Vernell (City and Islington College), UCU NEC
Saladin Meckled-Garcia (University College London), UCL UCU President
John Yandell (University College London), IOE UCU President
Martin Fry (University College London), UCL UCU Executive Committee
Keith Simpson (City University), City UCU President
Christopher Roche (University of Bath), Bath UCU Vice President
Julie Hearn (University of Lancaster), Lancaster UCU Vice President
Andew Higginbottom (Kingston University), Kingston UCU President
Rhiannon Lockley (Halesowen College), Chair, UCU West Midlands Region and UCU National Women’s Committee
Daragh O’Reilly (University of Sheffield), UCU
Tom Hickey (University of Brighton), Brighton UCU negotiator
Sheila Cullen (University of Brighton), Secretary Brighton UCU
Chris Cocking (University of Brighton), Membership Secretary, Brighton-Falmer UCU
Prof Bob Brecher (University of Brighton)
Prof Graham Dawson (University of Brighton)
Prof Jonathan Woodham (University of Brighton)
Jelena Timotijevic (University of Brighton)
Stephanie Davis (University of Brighton)
Laura Banks (University of Brighton)
Joseph Ronan (University of Brighton)
Angela Pickering (University of Brighton)
Andrew Hammond (University of Brighton)
Nicola Clewer (University of Brighton)
Rob Raeburn (University of Brighton)
Cathy Bergin (University of Brighton)
Tony J. Benn (University of Brighton)
Garikoitz Gómez Alfaro (University of Brighton)
Joanna Kellond (University of Brighton)
Robin Dunford (University of Brighton)
Ken Turner (University of Brighton)
JE Rimmington (University of Brighton)
Prof Dennis Leech (University of Warwick, retd)
William Edmondson, UCU West Midlands Retired Members Branch
Kate Clayton, UCU Equality Rep, West Midlands Retired Members Branch
Dave Sheridan, UCU West Midlands Retired Members Branch
Norman Jemison, UCU West Midlands Retired Members Branch
Robert Kirkwood, UCU East Midlands Retired Members Branch
Jo Corke, Chair, UCU South West Retired Members Branch
Steve Cushion, Secretary, UCU London Retired Members Branch
Weyman Bennett, Joint National Secretary of Stand Up to Racism
Sabby Dhalu, Joint National Secretary of Stand Up to Racism
Geoff Dexter, co-founder LGBT+ Support Refugees and Migrants
Tony Boucher, proprietor, Brilliant Day, Shrewsbury
Kathrene Perry, Telford UNISON Executive
Mike Edwards (Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology), Senior Lecturer in TU Studies
Darrall Cozens, UCU West Midlands, President of Coventry TUC