Home Office Tries to Deport Iraqi Kurdish Asylum-Seekers - Please Protest

Just had this through from Sacha Ismail of Education Not for Sale (ENS) about an appeal from the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR) and the Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq (CSDIraq):

To Refugee and humanist organisations, those who demand human rights and all the political parties: defend the right of asylum!

The British Home Office for the fifth time has decided to deport 64 Kurdish asylum seekers by force back to Kurdistan in the next 24hrs to 72 hrs. These asylum seekers are now held inside British prisons and detention camps, despite some of them having families and children.

This morning (16 June 08) Iraqi asylum seekers have been taken from detention centres. Jaza Hama Raeim from Tinsley House contacted International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR) at 9am today saying that the Iraqi detainees had been told to collect their property as they were being moved.  IFIR has tried to contact Jaza and other asylum seekers in Tinsley House and other detention centres without success, their mobile phones have been switched off all day, we fear this means they have been deported or are about to be deported.

This is not the first time in the last 3 years that the policy of deporting Iraqi asylum seekers been carried out by the British government in the most inhuman way, by force, by using military planes, handcuffing asylum seekers, making them wear military uniforms and sometimes on military flights. Against all principles of international human rights they were deported back to the Arbil international airport, and during the deportation they were also abused, sworn at and beaten up, even though they’ve committed no crime apart from seeking asylum.

This situation has brought fear and feeling in danger to all the Iraqi asylum seekers in Britain today. Many asylum seekers have left their homes, hidden themselves and chosen to live secretly because of fear of getting arrested and getting deported back to the most dangerous place in the world, despite the weekly signature system for asylum seekers that keeps them handcuffed in their areas, and have taken the freedom of wherever they try to live. This system has also created the situation that when the police want to arrest them they will arrest them and will make them an object of deportation.

These policies are pushed forward when Iraqi society has lost all forms of security and the future of Iraq is in the hands of nationalists and tribal war, the question of equal rights for people and freedom for people is not even mentioned, and in fact all these rights have been linked to religious and Islamic pride, which will not produce anything else other that instability and insecurity. Asylum seekers are a product of these politics and religious morals which the British government is openly behind, though it is not ready to be responsible and accept the consequences of its own policy.

The Iraqi Kurdish asylum seekers have every right to stay and choose their own lives; however for this they need the support from all refugees, humanist, political parties, and all those who demand human rights. The asylum seekers are waiting for your support and solidarity, therefore we are asking for your help, support and solidarity, in any way you can give it and which you think is appropriate.

Please support these asylum seekers, raise your voices and protest against this state policy that the government is practising against asylum seekers and human rights. We are asking you to send protest letters to the Home Office to support those rights, and highlight these demands of Iraqi Kurdish asylum seekers in your letters:

1. Free all those asylum seekers who are in prison and detention camps

2. Stop the policy of deporting Iraqi Kurdish asylum seekers, and allow them the right to defend themselves and their cases.

3. Stop removing accommodation, the right to work and social services from asylum seekers.

You can send your letters of protest to the address and fax number below

Home Office, 2 Marsham St, London, SW1P

Fax: 00442070354745

Copy to IFIR & CSDIRAQ: PO Box1575, Ilford, IG1 3BZ, London, email d.jamal@ntlworld.com and Karen.Johnson@btinternet.com and Sarah Parker: sarahp107@hotmail.com

International Federation of Iraqi Refugees