On the 6th of June, all roads lead to Yarls Wood Detention Centre and City of Sanctuary joined forces with Women for Refugee Women, Movement for Justice, activists, politicians, lawyers and concerned citizens to raise awareness of the basic human rights abuses occurring at Yarls Wood and may other immigration detention centres dotted around the country. I travelled from Derby representing Derby City of Sanctuary and joined Leicester City of Sanctuary. The aim was to gather peacefully, in hope and solidarity to stand up for women and families at Yarls Wood Detention Centre. Its time for action and time to end detention of immigrants.
The day proved to be a success with keynote speakers including former detainees at Yarls Wood, Helena Kennedy QC, Shami Chakrabarti, Natalie Bennett, Nimko Ali, Caroline Criado-Perez, Juliet Stevenson, Josie Long, Romola Garai and Richard Fuller MP. Although we demonstrated our freedom of expression and stood with the detained people behind the double barbed wire my heart broke at the thought of what these vulnerable people are experiencing and going through on a daily basis. Asylum seekers and refugees are people who seek sanctuary and flee numerous instances and in most cases life threatening and traumatic experiences yet when they arrive here some end up locked in these detention Centres. Simply put, detention centres such as Yarls Wood are worse than maximum prisons yet they hold law abiding citizen who’s crime was to seek help, support and protection. For many people who I’ve spoken to and experienced Yarls Wood, asylum process and other detention
centres around the country, its like jumping from a fire into a massive hot plate.
Shami Chakrabati welcomed everyone and reiterated the key message of Shutting the hell-hole down. Shut Down Yarls Wood. Time to make a change, shut this down and Set Her Free. Ex-detainee Lydia from Manchester then spoke about her experience after being detained more than once. Lydia spoke of her turmoil being detained at Yarls Wood and recalled the miserable conditions she lived. She spoke about the importance of being there demostrating and speaking up as therapy for her but also strength in knowing people around here stood in solidarity with all the people detained inside Yarls Wood.
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, then spoke about the wonderful feeling she had seeing hundreds of people fighting here. She told how she found strength in how the women inspired her to carry on fighting for Human Rights, she spoke about how people fleeing persecution ended up being behind barbed wires and vulnerable to abuse. Baroness Kennedy mentioned “This is about the things UK should be standing for, about human rights about protecting human rights. As a nation of Magna Carta, a nation of human rights we have to make this end and end now. Shut Yarls Wood Down”.
Richard Fuller, conservative MP for Bedford then spoke about gathering in Hope and sadness as Yarls Wood is a manifistication of failure in policy and humanity. Honerable Fuller stated ” This policy is inhuman, locking up people who are vulnerable”. He spoke about not being proud of being in a country that detained victims of torture, victims of rape. Just because someone can not prove in court that they are victim, that does not mean they are not a victim. He stated The petition has over 100 000 signatures calling on debate of asylum seekers in parliament and this is his mission to lead that petition and debate.
Zrinka Bralo then spoke about her experience and how the she feels reflecting on the system, sad and broken. She acclaimed we need to Shut down Yarls Wood and keep it open as a museum. Detention Centres are a shame and no human is illegal.
Natalie Bennett the leader of Green Party then spoke about the importance of Shutting Yarls Wood Down, seeking asylum is not a crime. She mentioned than 50 million people are displaced by war, hunger and poverty around the world. UK is not taking fair share of refugees. The current policy is inhuman, costly and unjust. Britain is torturing the victims of torture again. Regularise and legalise the so called illegal immigrants and ensure people are treated with humanity and given opportunity to effectively contribute to communities.
We then marched towards the fence were the women inside this detention centre could see us and my heart sank when they showed much loved and appreciation and waved at us through the caged windows. The women shouted ” Freedom, Freedom and Freedom” and we chanted back ” Shut Down Yarls Woo”. Through it all, its always comforting experiencing the overwhelming support and compassion amongst the citizens of United Kingdom from all walks of life, who go against the system and open their hearts and minds to the struggles many many people go through to express the many rights and freedoms people take for granted. As we stand shoulder to shoulder with those in need we hope to continue raising awareness of the plight of asylum seekers and inhuman treatment they face in UK detention centres and flash a light on some of the draconian policies pursued by the Government which ultimately cost lives. Child detention ended in 2010 however we all have a role to play,
let’s fight the good fight, raise awareness and harsh realities many asylum seekers have to go through. Please sign our petition to Shut Down Yarls Wood here and also contact your local MP and encourage them to support the hundred of asylum seekers and refugees currently arrested in detention centres.
Written by Joseph Chivayo. City of Sanctuary Derby and Human Rights Activist.