Charter flight to hell

On Monday the 12th February 2007, possibly 50+ Iraqis and Kurds will be forcibly removed by charter flight from RAF Brize Norton and taken to Northern Iraq. There have been demonstrations in London at Layx/Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centres and Dallas Court Enforcement Unit in Manchester to protest against deportations.

Immigration officials have been arresting Iraqi and Kurdish asylum seekers during the past couple of weeks. John Reid warned the high court judges that he would no longer defer a deportation if a last-minute legal challenge was launched unless a full injunction was granted.

So even if an asylum seeker has legal proceedings regarding their immigration status it is not sufficient enough and they could still be deported. Immigration officials arrest more than the flight can hold just in case a judge grants a last minute injunction and someone from the “reserve list” can be slotted into that place. It is utterly obscene.

UNHCR estimates that 1.6 million Iraqis are displaced internally with another 1.8 million in neighbouring states. Most of these people are completely destitute. Many Iraqis now find international travel impossible as countries will turn away any Iraqi who does not have the latest type of Iraqi passport. Needless to say you can only get a new style passport if you know the right people.

And New Labour still say this war was fought to liberate Iraqis....