Tuesday 10 August 2021
Anti racists oppose deportation flight and government’s ‘racist, cruel and brutal’ hostile environment
Anti racists are alarmed and angered at the government’s deportation flights, with another flight, this week to Jamaica, scheduled to take off from Birmingham airport at 1am.
Demonstrations have been called to stop the deportation flights, and Stand Up To Racism applauds anti racists who are organising to oppose the deportation flights.
Many of those being forced to board have been in Britain for many years, and have families and children here.
Anti racists are calling for the deportation flight to be halted in a rejection of the government’s ‘hostile environment’ which they call out as being “racist, brutal and cruel”. Meanwhile, the Jamaican government is also calling for the flight to be halted due to Covid safety concerns. There have been at least two Covid cases confirmed among Jamaicans due to board the flight at Colnbrook immigration removal centre near Heathrow where the majority due to fly are being held. Several people deported to Jamaica last December were found to have Covid.
The government’s actions in regards to the deportation flight flies in the face of the 2018 Home Office-commissioned report that called for a new approach to the policy of detaining and removing people who had committed crimes but lived most of their lives in Britain. Several being due to be forced to board have lived in Britain since under the age of 12.
Weyman Bennett, co convenor Stand Up To Racism, said
“What Boris Johnson and Priti Patel are doing with the Nationality and Borders bill is intensifying an already deeply racist and ideological “hostile environment” for refugees and migrants. These horrifying deportation flights are part and parcel with this agenda – the same racist agenda that led to the mass community response in Glasgow that beat the home office’s attempt at a dawn raid.
“This government are very clearly whipping up racism – with a focus on driving a wedge, seemingly between those deserving and undeserving, whether it is about painting migrants as criminals, or attacking refugees who are forced into so called illegal routes.
“We stand with our neighbours – many of whom have lived in this country from very young ages – those who have been taken from their homes, their families, their communities and forced onto these flights. And we stand with anti racists who are opposing the deportations and doing all they can to halt them. We need to organise nationally to oppose the borders bill – we need action.”
Sabby Dhalu, co convenor Stand Up To Racism, said
“These cruel deportations are the latest attempt by the government to press ahead with the hostile environment and pander to racism.
“Instead of having learned from the Windrush Scandal, the Home Office is continuing to target people of Jamaican heritage, tearing them apart from their loved ones despite that fact most have lived here for the majority of their adult lives
“Anyone who was shocked by the Windrush Scandal must stand together in opposing these deportations and demanding justice for all those targeted for being born in the Caribbean.”
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For more information, interviews and further quotes:
info@standuptoracism.org.uk