News
REMEMBER THE DEAD - JUSTICE FOR THE LIVING - END IMMIGRATION DETENTION
(November 08, 2012)
> REMEMBER THE DEAD - JUSTICE FOR THE LIVING - END IMMIGRATION DETENTION
> NOW!
>
> A person died in Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre last Tuesday 10th October 2012. The private security firm running the immigration
> prison, GEO Group Limited, and the Home Office refuse to disclose any
> information about what happened, or the person's name or nationality.
>
> Detainees inside and an anonymous GEO officer confirm his name as
> Prince
> Ofosu, a Ghanaian detainee, 31 years old. They say he was forcibly
> restrained by GEO officers, taken to the 'block' (isolation cells),
> sustained injuries from being hit by an officer and stripped naked and
> left for 24 hours with the heating turned off until his death. [***See
> full statement below***]
>
> WE WILL NOT LET THIS DEATH BE SILENCED - bring banners, whistles,
> instruments and whatever you can find to make a lot of noise outside
> the
> detention centre, and to show solidarity to those still incarcerated
> inside Harmondsworth & Colnbrook IRCs!
>
> The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is visiting the detention centre on
> Tuesday 6th November. Reports say the death has been referred to the
> Hillingdon coroner but an inquest is not expected to open until the
> middle
> of next week.
>
> This is the seventh death of a detainee in Harmondsworth IRC and brings
> to
> 17 the total number of deaths in the UK Detention estate.
>
> This is the tip of the iceberg in the untold reality of people
> suffering
> at the hands of a racist immigration system that persecutes people
> because
> they have the 'wrong' kind of identity and status.
>
> Everyday people without 'correct' identity papers are seized. They are
> detained and deported. They are racially profiled, picked out because
> they
> are 'foreign' and deemed 'undesirable' from society. Every day people
> face
> 'identity controls'. They are criminalised and told they are 'illegal'.
>
> This fear of 'others' promoted by governments makes xenophobia and
> racism
> normalised and institutionalised.
>
> End to all detention centres, the modern day concentration camps of our
> society.
>
> Remember the dead - Justice for the Living – End Immigration Detention
> Now!
>
> ===========================================================================
>
> Ghanaian Detainees Statement - Death of Prince Ofosu
>
> We are presenting this information from Harmondsworth Immigration
> Removal
> Centre, regarding the death of Prince Ofosu, a detainee aged 31 years.
>
> What we do know about the death of Prince Ofosu, the Ghanaian detainee
> who
> died on Tuesday 30th October, 2012 is as follows:
>
> 1. Prince Ofosu was forcibly restrained by GEO officers employed by the
> UKBA.
>
> 2. We understand that Prince Ofosu sustained some injuries. The GEO
> officer, Jim by name who inflicted massive blows on prince Ofosu had
> some
> blood stains on his uniform, but he was asked to remove the blood
> stained
> clothes so that no one would notice what happened. His clothes were
> changed for him. That happened in a room known as "block" [rule 40].
>
> 3. Currently, in order to pervert the course of justice, the GEO
> officer
> Jim purposely applied for leave because of what he has done.
>
> 4. A reliable information from another GEO officer who was at the
> scene,
> (but wants to remain anonymous), specified that prince Ofosu was
> stripped
> naked at the "block" [rule 40] and the heating system was turned off.
> Prince Ofosu was left in the cold without even a duvet till his death
> 24
> hours after being detained at the block.
>
> 5. Another incidence occurred where a Ghanaian by name Kofi, was
> refusing
> to be removed or deported. The GEO escort staff, forced Kofi on board
> the
> transporting coach. On the way to Stansted airport, Kofi wa injected
> on
> his neck on the bus with drug by the escort officer and a GEO nurse.
> Kofi
> slept within few seconds and was easily put on the flight PVT090 and
> deported to Ghana on 5th July 2012. The detainees at Harmondsworth
> tried
> contacting Kofi from Ghana but no news about him so far.
>
> 6. There are other Ghanaian patients in detention who are not being
> given
> medical care as required. One example is a young lad whose blood sample
> was taken for examination but after two months, he was told they could
> not find his blood sample, suggesting they don't care whether he
> survives
> or dies. This patient also suffers blood pressure and diabetes, but
> the
> medication they gave him is Gaviscon and Ibuprofen.
>
> 7. There is another who has developed chronic head ache due to the
> death
> of Prince Ofosu, for fear that he probably might be the next to be
> maltreated to death. He was unable to eat or sleep at night.
>
> 8. There is yet another with heart failure who, even though has a
> specialist consultant that only monitors his heart condition, the UKBA
> has
> ignored him and has been detained without proper care. He had MRI scan
> recently, but had not even received medical results from his
> consultant
> when he was forced into detention.
>
> 9. Furthermore, there is another Ghanaian who has a kidney problem and
> had
> his urine sample taken at the clinic for investigation on 17th
> October,
> 2012. He was told he would receive the result in five (5) days but
> till
> date (2/11/12) nothing was received. The illness is still persistent
> but
> there has been no treatment. Suggesting that the UKBA and the GEO
> staff
> do not care about his welfare.
>
> 10. Finally, there is no permanent doctor here at Harmondsworth IRC
> clinic. Those doctors who come on duty appears to be part-time (locum)
> doctors. Each doctor probably comes weekly. When a doctor prescribes
> medication to a detainee, he or she is not available regularly to
> monitor
> the progress of the detained patient.
>
> In conclusion, we in detention appear to be maltreated. Others have
> much
> genuine cases but the UKBA tries hard to falsify documents to suit
> their
> evil practises.
>
> Signed:.........[concerned Ghanaian detainees]
>
>
> *******************************************************
> Source for this Message Ghanaian Detainees
>
>
> ===========================================================================
>
> 17 deaths in immigration detention, from self-Harm, murder or
> 'undetermined'
>
> ±±± Ianos Dragutan (AKA John Yohona) from Modova, died in Campsfield
> IRC
> on the 2nd August 2011. Inquest was held at Oxford Old Assizes [ Mr
> Dragutan had served three months at London's Wandsworth Prison for
> possessing false documentation before arriving at Campsfield on July
> 31,
> the court heard. Two days later officers told Mr Dragutan to collect
> his
> belongings for release, although it is believed that he was also due to
> face questioning in connection with a rape case. When police arrived Mr
> Dragutan left the waiting room, entered the shower block and hung
> himself,
> the court heard. ].
>
>
> ±±± Brian Dalrymple from America died in Colnbrook IRC on 31st July,
> he
> was 35 years old. Brian arrived in the UK towards the end of June, he
> was
> immediately detained and placed in immigration detention and remained
> their until his death. UKBA have refused to give cause of death.
>
>
> ±±± Muhammed Shuket from Pakistan, died in Colnbrook IRC 2nd July 2011.
> UKBA have refused to give cause of death.
>
>
> ±±± Eliud Nguli Nyenze, from Kenya, born 1970 - died Oakington IRC 15th
> April 2010, death as yet to be determined.
>
>
> ±±± Bereket Yohannes from Eritrea. Detainees at Harmondsworth IRC told
> NCADC that 26-year-old fellow detainee Bereket Yohannes was found
> hanged
> in the showers at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre at 5:25 pm
> on
> the afternoon of Thursday the 19th January 2006.
>
>
> ±±± Manuel Bravo, a national of Angola living in Leeds was 'snatched'
> by
> immigration officials with his son Antonio on the morning of Wednesday
> 14th September. In the early hours of Thursday the 15th September 2005
> Manuel was found hanging in a stairwell at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre.
> Manuel and Antonio had been living in Armley, Leeds for the last three
> years after leaving war-torn Angola. (He killed himself so son could
> stay)
>
>
> ±±± Ramazan Kumluca, (19), 27/6/05, a Kurdish asylum seeker from Turkey
> who was found hanged in Campsfield House removal centre in Oxford. He
> had
> been detained for five months and was said to be depressed after a bail
> application was rejected for the third time.
>
>
> ±±± Kenny Peter, 7/11/04, a Nigerian asylum seeker who died in Charing
> Cross hospital, nearly three weeks after sustaining injuries during an
> apparent self-harm attempt at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre. It
> is
> believed that on 19 October, Kenny jumped from a landing and sustained
> serious injuries, from which he later died.
>
>
> ±±± Tran Quang Tung, (23), 23/7/04, a Vietnamese man who was found
> hanged
> in Dungavel removal centre in Scotland just days after being
> transferred
> from Harmondsworth removal centre after the disturbance.
>
>
> ±±± Sergey Barnuyck, (31), 19/7/04, a Ukrainian who was found hanged in
> Harmondsworth detention centre. His death sparked a night of
> disturbances
> at the centre and led to all of the detainees being transferred to
> prisons
> and other detention centres.
>
>
> ±±± Kabeya Dimuka-bijoux from DR Congo, 01/05/2004 collapsed and died
> whilst exercising in the gym at Haslar IRC, Post mortem states cause of
> death 'undetermined'.
>
>
> ±±± Olga Blaskevica (29) from Latvia, detained in Harmondsworth IRC,
> murdered by her husband on the 7th May 2003
>
>
> ±±± Mikhail Bognarchuk, (42), 31/1/03, a Ukrainian asylum seeker who
> was
> found hanged at Haslar removal centre.
>
>
> ±±± Robertas Grabys, 24/01/00, a Lithuanian asylum seeker who was found
> hanged in Harmondsworth detention centre on the day he was due to be
> deported. A report into his death criticised the private company that
> was
> in charge of Harmondsworth at the time.
>
>
> ±±± Kimpua Nsimba, 24, 15/06/90, Pr, Zairean asylum-seeker found hanged
> in
> Harmondsworth detention centre; no-one had spoken to him in over 4
> days,
>
>
> ±±± Siho Iyiguveni, 26, 08/10/89, He and another Turk barricaded (5
> October 1989) themselves in a bedroom in Harmondsworth detention centre
> and set light to bedding, died from injuries sustained.
>
>
> ===========================================================================
>
> Driven to Desperate Measures, Institute of Race Relations (IRR)
> http://www.irr.org.uk/news/driven-to-desperate-measures-2
>
> The IRR published a report in 2010 on deaths of asylum seekers and
> migrants which damns government policies for putting vulnerable people
> at
> risk
>
> 77 asylum seekers and migrants have died either in the UK or
> attempting to reach the UK in the past five years
>
> [These deaths do not include those 'settled' black people, those with
> leave to remain who have met their death in the custody of the police,
> prison and psychiatric hospitals and in racial violence attacks]
>
> 44 died as an indirect consequence of the iniquities of the
> immigration/asylum system - by taking their own lives when claims
> were not allowed, by meeting accidental deaths evading deportation or
> during the deportation itself, by being prevented medical care, by
> becoming destitute in the UK.
>
> Of these:
>
> 28 died at their own hand, preferring this to being returned to
> the
> country they fled, when asylum claims were turned down. And
> compounding the process is the fact that some of those in detention and
> known to be traumatised and particularly vulnerable appear not to have
> been provided with the medical (especially psychiatric) support they
> needed.
>
> 1 died accidentally as, in terror after a raid by police and
> immigration officials, he took evasive action.
>
> 1 person died during the deportation process itself as he was
> being
> deported to Luanda, Angola escorted by three guards from G4S, a
> private security company.
>
> 4 people died after being deported back to a country where they
> feared for their safety. The actual number is certainly far higher.
>
> 7 people died because of being denied health care for preventable
> medical problems.
>
> 2 people died destitute and unable to access services.
>
> 1 baby died as a result of possible safety failings of a housing
> provider contracted by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
>
> 7 died in prison custody, either being held for deportation or
> while
> awaiting trial or serving sentences for charges involving false
> documentation.
>
> 4 died in the course of carrying out work which, by virtue of its
> being part of the 'black economy', carried particular dangers and few
> protective rights. (The numbers listed here are probably a gross
> underestimate, as work-related deaths of people who are 'illegal'
> will often go unreported in the media.)
>
> 7 died on the streets of our cities at the hands of racists or as
> a
> consequence of altercations with a racial dimension. Often the
> victims had been moved, via the government's dispersal system, to
> areas where they were particularly isolated and vulnerable to attack.
>
> 15 died taking dangerous and highly risky methods to enter the
> country. With legal barriers in place to prevent them securing visas or
> work permits to enter legally and sanctions applying to aboveboard
> carriers, the desperate stowaway on planes and lorries or attempt to
> cross
> the channel in makeshift boats or cling to trains. The number recorded
> here is probably only a fraction of those who have died in this way.
> Our
> figures rely on news reports and, by virtue of the
> subject matter, these deaths are not news.
>
> Harmit Athwal, the author of the report, said, 'Racism percolates right
> through the immigration/asylum system - from forcing people to risk
> life
> and limb to enter, forcing them to live destitute on the street, prey
> to
> violent racist attack. That twenty-eight people died at their own hand,
> preferring this to being returned, when their asylum application
> failed,
> to the country they fled, is a terrible indictment of British justice.'
>
> No section of our society is more vulnerable than asylum seekers and
> undocumented migrants. Forced by circumstances beyond their control to
> seek a life outside their home countries, prevented by our laws from
> entering legally and from working, denied a fair hearing by the asylum
> system, excluded from health and safety protection at work, kept from
> social care and welfare, unhoused and destitute, vilified by the media
> and
> therefore dehumanised in the popular imagination, their hopes of
> another
> life are finally extinguished. The IRR has catalogued a roll call of
> death
> of the 77 asylum seekers and migrants who have died either in the UK or
> attempting to reach the UK in the past five years as a consequence of
> direct racism or indirect racism stemming from policies.
>