Month: January 2017

There is a charter flight today. They are going to chain them like animals.

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There is a charter flight today. They are going to chain them like animals. A lot of people have got mums, and aunties and children here in the UK. They have been here all their life. People might get killed because of their sexuality. They’re going to need some help tonight.

I may be on the charter flight. I haven’t got a lawyer at the moment. No one is listening to me and no one is helping me.

They make up reasons to ignore your private life so that can remove you.

I’ve got family here. My mum is here. I came here when I was a boy. I was 16. I’ve been here for 13 years.

I’m bisexual. I’m fearful of my life. Because the lgbt rights in Nigeria are non-existent. I claimed asylum but they didn’t believe me. But I have private life here. I went to sixth form college here.

It’s dehumanising ait’s demoralising. I’ve been in detention for 5 months. I feel really lost. The detention facility is poor. The food is poor. The care is poor. I would treat my dog like I’m treated here.

People are dying here. Why are people dying inside the detention centre?

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I have a condition I was in the hospital but they don’t release me. They wont give me right of appeal. Solidarity detention won’t help people. To many people inside, they want too protest but the officers wont let us. We won’t make trouble but we want to protest. We can see 50 people who are demonstrating. We can hear them. Release some people. People are dying here. Why are people dying inside the detention centre?

I heard about the protest. I’m so happy.

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Today is D day. We are just waiting here.

I heard about the protest. I’m so happy. I’m so grateful. It’s one thing for organise the protest.It’s another for the home office to listen

Just keep doing it. When they see you doing it continuously they’ll listen. It’s not once off. If I’m out I’d join you.

I think the protest is a good one.

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I think the protest is a good one. To make people aware that mass deportation is mass slavery. They should not be deporting people – because I’ve still got my case pending in the upper tribunal. Why could they not let me finish my case and let me know if I have right to remain or not. I have put in an injunction to stop my removal – and I hope it will stop. I’m waiting for the judge. They’ve moved us to the G wing that is the section that they lock people like a prison. It’s just simple overstaying – they don’t need to be treating people like that. It’s human and degrading. It’s just punishment. Right now I’m feeling so bad. I’m feeling that there’s no human rights at all.

It’s like we don’t matter.

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One of the things I find daunting is the treatment of the detainees at Colnebrook.

I was arrested on Tuesday. I was put in a bus to travel a long way to Lincolnshire, to Morton Hall detention centre. No Home Office official inducted me there, they just asked my name and told me I’ve been arrested because I’m an overstayer. I stayed one night there. They did not tell me anything when they brought me back down to London.

The right thing to do would be to address me as a human. But no one spoke to me. They didn’t tell me that they were moving me to London, to Colnebrook. It happened when I was about to go to the bathroom, I hadn’t gone to for breakfast yet. They took me, and carried me to Colnebrook. They’ve put me in a unit for quick removal. Some people have been here a week.

I’ve lived here for 8 years. I have been a lecturer in this country. I’ve trained hundreds of engineers in this country. I’ve done loads of community work.

I have been living in Newcastle for the last 8 years. I’ve worked with a local charity and the Salvation Army. They do a lot of community work. Through the charity I’ve been working with students on ICT at Sunderland University. The MPs know about me, they’ve been writing letters. I’ve also lectured at Newcastle College on Engineering.

The Newcastle college employed me but then the Home Office advised them not to sponsor my application. The situation I am in was created by the Home Office. I wasn’t an unemployed person – I was giving lectures. A judge advised me to seek legal advice for a case against the Home Office. But in England we don’t have legal aid so I couldn’t challenge it. So my job ended because of the Home Office and the story started from there. Now I’m in detention. I cannot get justice. I do not have money to get my job back.

I want people to know: The strict immigration system has strangled me in this country. It prevented me from having the funds to prevent this becoming an issue. It’s important for people to know that the Home Office caused this problem in the first place.

My DBS record is clean – I challenge anybody to challenge it. I don’t have any record of doing any wrong doing in this country. I didn’t choose to be here. Because I’m just an individual, I cannot get justice.

It is good to document what is happening here. There are more people here. I can see that there are people here who are going through excruciating pain. They are denying people access to their husbands and family. It’s like we don’t matter.

People would be better off if they had better access to legal aid in immigration. Immigration is one of the major issues in British society today.  There are men here with children outside. Detention is taking their fathers away. Do you think those children would be happy tomorrow? It is creating a societal problem.When people have issues, it’s better to deal with them than throw the whole family into hardship. How should children carry on without fathers and without mothers, in a complex society like ours.

So more legal aid, help get justice for families and for the poor. It’s so important when people have no right work.

My lawyer made a mistake in my case. It’s basic element of humanity – we are not infallible as humans. But when there is a basic error and they admit it they should say okay we’ll seek a way to correct it. But they made people pay a heavy penalties for these errors by taking them out of the country, taking them out of their job. We are all humans yeah. And one of the elements of humanity is we make mistakes. And the law firm made a mistake but when we appealed they said it was out of date. And between these two stages it cost about £5000. And if we continued further I might have won but it would have cost so much more money. How can I pay that? And you’re not working because you can’t work. This is what I mean by being denied justice. Why is it like this?

You claim to be the crème de la crème of the in societies in the world. But where is the justice and the fairness here?

Now they want to take me back on a charter flight to Nigeria.

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I’m in Colnbrook detention centre, very close to Heathrow airport in London.

I was detained in Morton Hall last week and then they brought me here.

I was supposed to have an appointment. An eye appointment in Derby with a doctor. I had to book a new one for next week. I told the immigration officer about it but they won’t let me go to it.

Boko Haram drove me from Nigeria. My wife left me. My daughter left me. My brother brought me here. I have built a life here. I have a new girlfriend now. I have been here 10 years. I’ve been here ten good years.

Now they want to take me back on a charter flight to Nigeria. Where would I stay? I’m in a very terrible situation. Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night screaming and my heart was racing. I was sweating, the bed was soaking with sweat because of the fear about tomorrow.

I don’t want to go. I have nowhere to stay. Even my brother called the Home Office and spoke to the caseworker. He said “What is the problem? This is the only brother I have. He has depression. There are only two of us. Leave him alone.”

But they just said go to see a lawyer. With the lawyer, I put in the papers and they denied me. They just denied me. The lawyer said there’s nothing they can do.

My brother is crying every day. Since I came to this country I’ve been staying with him. I’ve been in his house. Somebody who has left his country of 10 years. How do you want them to start their life all over again? I’ll be destitute.

I learnt from someone that there have been protests in London against the charter flight. They should stop chartering people away. The protests are justified because when you see people who have contributed in one way or another, people who have stayed here for a long time, and you are doing this to them. When they don’t know anybody there. You are just saying to them go back to the country and die.

Who is home office? who is immigration? Are they animal or human?

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From the beginning detention centre is like a prison for people, too many people are here. People coming this country to apply for asylum they bring them here, they keep them here for longer, longer. This system is like a prison. We in one building, we cannot see the outside, we cannot go outside. 9pm at night we are locked inside our room, 9am in morning we come out- too many hours. Each room has 2 beds, and a toilet. The morning water is cold, I wash my body 3 times in cold water. I said to my friend 1 1/2 month we have this problem, he say long time like this. Charlie unit in Colnbrook. Officer said water is broken, he said manager does not listen to officer or detainee. I complained but they didn’t answer.

I am from Mosul in Iraq, I cannot go back, it is dangerous now. I don’t have family in Mosul, how can they send me back? They are taking me to UK detention. They not release us. They are waiting for a passport from Iraq to send me back, they want me to sign it so they send me back to Iraq. I been detained more than 5 months. Why I am here more than 5 months? They not release me.

Yesterday they take my friend back to Iraq. He been in prison in UK, for about 1 1/2 years. His sentence finish after 1 year, then they put him in another prison. He has Indefinite leave to remain in the UK but they didn’t release him. So they send him back to Iraq. Home office makes 5 hour interview with him, they ask why he wants to go back to Irag. He said because you won’t release me from detention. Because I don’t want to die in prison. In beginning 1 1/2 year sentence now I have been here 2 1/2 years. I don’t wanna stay in prison any longer. How long you gunna keep me?

I was in prison but I am foreign national. I been in this country about 7 years. I been waiting for asylum too long. So I wanted to leave UK, I had to get fake ID to leave. But they catch me in France, they check the ID. They said “this is not you”. They (the French) said this is not our problem. They give me back to UK immigration. They said you are going to court for this ID. The court give me 18 months sentence, made up to 22 months, which means you serve 11 months. I went to foreign national prison in Manchester, it is very punish. They give you £1 to work for the day, and if you don’t work they cut off TV in your room. If you don’t work they send you to “Basic prison” for 28 days- you don’t have TV, you not allowed shopping, you stay in your cell all the time. Unless you go to work. If you don’t go to the work they give you another month. No English inside. Arab, Kurdish, European, but no English, security is English.

I done my 11 month sentence, sentence finish. They do psychological torture. Immigration will not let you outside. I never have problem in prison, all my life I never take drugs or nothing. I really behave in prison but they still not let me out. They put me in ‘isolation/suicide watch’- a cell, with a glass wall, they watch you 24 hours a day- no TV, no exercise, you only let out for 2 minutes eating and shower. I in there for 15 days. Everyday I have interview with governor and church and Imam. I argue not to go back to cell, because I have finished my sentence, I am on license, I should be released. The say I am high-risk. I say I am not going to kill myself but don’t take me back to my cell, because I finish sentence I should be released. The Governor say this is costing money. I say you care more about the money than my life. He said its not me but immigration won’t let you out. Finally they say we are going to move you. They say to detention- but I din’t know what it means.

Mid-jury 2016, I finish my sentence. They say detention is like hotel, they say I will stay there for 2 weeks. I was happy. Then I come to detention. Now I AM STILL HERE- I been here more than 5 months. Immigration play games. They play games with me.

They say I have to be released by bail. Before it used to be easy to get out, they release if you couldn’t be sent back to your country, but right now system is change. I find information about bail. The say I need probation officer, need surety, need address. I apply for Section 4 address- I been waiting and waiting, but they refused me- they say I have to apply for asylum. I already apply for asylum. They say you have to do it again. I start to apply, they say I have to wait- for 1 1/2 month. I had interview by video link in Verne. 2 1/2 hours I talk about my case. They say I have to wait again another 1/12 month for next appointment, every time they say next week, next week, next week. Then they say move me to Colnbrook- I have to finish there.

I have migraine problems so I cannot travel by car. They say you have to. The next time they didn’t tell me. 10 big high security guys came at 7am- what is happening? They say you have to go to London. I have to go, I cannot refuse these security guys. Normally they just have 2 people plus driver, but for me they bring 4 people. They think I am ‘high-security’ because I talk about killing myself. I am not dangerous. I help people in detention, I am barber, I help people with their English. My caseworker never help me. I was sick on the way to Colnbrook- the had to take me to hospital. The emergency doctor have to speak to me alone. He ask me what happened- I tell him about my problems. The doctor say the immigration is attacking me, they not helping me, he give me injection for migraines. I stay in hospital for 24 hours.

Why there are 4 security guards coming to look after 1 ill man? The security not like the situation either- they not happy about what is happening to me- they think I should be released- They confused about what to do with me. Again they took me back to the Verne!  They put me in the block again. They say I have to stay there- but I have just come back from hospital. The manager said he didn’t know why I was there- he said the immigration put me there. In the morning they still not taking me out, The Red Cross talk to the immigration people in the Verne, and finally they let me out of the block.

After 3 days, again they try to take me to Colnbrook. I ate 2/3 sleeping tablets for the journey. I wake up I am in London. I had asylum interview in Colbrook. The tell me they are just taking me for few days and then I go back to the Verne. But they didn’t. After 2 weeks they refuse me for asylum. I appealed, judge said I have to wait another 2 weeks.

Immigration play all these games with people. I have no chance to apply for bail. Always waiting for this or that- all the time I am detained. 5 months I been in detention now. A man from Mosul Iraq. That is what make the people inside crazy. It makes people kill themselves. It makes people take all the pills. Nobody cares, nobody looks after detainees. I been waiting for 3 weeks for the doctor. I need operations, hospital send papers to the doctor but they don’t care. I still waiting. Just let me out. Don’t want to stay, stay, stay. I paid for my mistake. Why I have to do another sentence? People in here have kids, they have wives. Its very tough in here, even for just one day. They are not treating you well, they are treating like animals. Can you please people outside do something for detainee people? Don’t believe what the immigration say, things are not true.
Immigration is making people crazy. I love British people but the system is not good. Its not fair. We been punished. I am in another prison. My friend say prison is better than detention. I don’t like this system. Who is making this? Why are they punishing me? I never see my caseworker. Who is home office? who is immigration? Are they animal or human?

On Christmas Eve they tried to send me back to Baghdad. When they tried to send me back, they put me on the plane, they twisted my arms, put handcuffs into my wrists, nearly breaking it. They said this is our job.

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I have been in the uk since 2002. I came from Iraq, I was injured and I was beaten nearly to death.  In 2001 I went to Germany, but I was refused asylum. I came to the UK because I was worried Germany would send me back to Iraq. In 2006 I met my now ex-girlfriend. We were together until 2013. She had said to apply for a visa with her, so I applied in 2009. I got a visa in 2013. But sadly, we are no longer together. Immigration said to me, because I applied for visa through her but we break up I have to back to Iraq. I am not coming here for visa, I am not coming for this reasons, I came here for my life. I apply for asylum but because I am not wth her they give me refuse. I applied again, I got refused agin.

In 2015, ISIS start killing people for no reason. I had a friend who said ‘why not come to church?’ I changed my religion, I became christian. People are not happy with me because of this, they speak bad about me. After that, the Church baptise me, we did that, then they put my picture on facebook. Then everyone knows I am Christian, everyone knows my situation. Most people don’t want to talk with me anymore, they say to me I shame myself by changing my religion.

2016, immigration come to my house and arrest me, because I have family life visa, which has run out. But its not about that I came here to apply for asylum. They said “we don’t believe you”, they said they don’t believe I change my religion. I said “how do you know what is in my heart?”. They said I don’t have enough evidence. what evidence? My religion is in my heart, how do they know?

Last year, on Christmas Eve they tried to send me back to Baghdad. When they tried to send me back, they put me on the plane with, they twisted my arms, put handcuffs into my wrists, nearly breaking it. They said this is our job. I am human why you do this- they said we have an order.

In Baghdad there is sectarian violence, between tribes and religions. They say it is safe for Christians but its not safe, there used to be 1 1/2 million Christian, now there is less than 500,000- where have they gone? They have been displaced, they have been be-headed. Immigration said there is Christian community in Baghdad but I was born into muslim, not into christian religion- this is different. This is different. In Sharia law you cannot change religion. Now immigration say Baghdad is safe.

I was detained early November. Now I am detained about 70 days. First time I apply for bail, they give me a ticket, therefore I can’t get bail. The judge doesn’t listen to my situation. Again I applied for bail and they give me another ticket. This is not on, what they do to people in here. Some people have been here 5,6,9 months. If my country was safe I would never be here. I love my country but they have been destroying it, the UK and America have been destroying it. We suffer like Syria.

I have never been to prison, I have never committed any crime, I have never committed any offences. I understand if I do something wrong, but I didn’t do anything wrong. I just find out my brother has been kidnapped in Iraq, he is journalist working for TV. I don’t know who has kidnapped him. I just want to get out and find out what has happened to him. It is very hard. I never been to prison but I am here now.

Yesterday I wanted to do suicide but they didn’t let me.

I want to make sure I am not going on that plane. These charter flights are modern slavery.

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I was detained 9th august last year and taken to the detention centre in Dorset. I claimed asylum in Dorset on 15th august. Before claiming asylum, they said an immigration officer would come within 48hours. But within 120hours still no officer came. When I was seen by an immigration officer, I complained that I had waited but nothing happened about the complaint.

I wrote 6 temporary admission letters, after claiming asylum, they were all ignored.

Early September I was transferred to Harmondsworth. When I came to Harmondsworth I came to welfare surgery to complain about the 120hour delay before being seen by an immigration officer and hearing nothing back about temporary admission and still nothing was done.

When I got to Harmondsworth I was treated like a prisoner, they locked me in the room after 8pm everyone is locked in. My liberty has not been respected. My human rights have not been respected. I spent 3 days in induction, before an officer transferred me to the ‘vulnerable adult’ section. I the ‘vulnerable adult’ section they don’t lock the door and you have just one room mate.

I ask the guards can you help me to call caseworker or immigration they do not support me, they don’t really care. When you go to complain they just ignore you. The healthcare department is totally s**t. The food is tasteless, rice and chicken, potato every week, the chips are cold, the food is totally outrageous, totally s**t, tastless, doesn’t taste of anything. When I book an appointment to get clothes for the gym, they said they couldn’t help, they said I had to wear my jeans! Do they want me to be naked?!

That was some months ago.

I went to the asylum appointment. They put me on fast track- I’m not meant to be on fast track. It is meant to be finished but they are still doing it in secret! They decided my case in 1 week. On 11th September I went for the induction and on the 12th I went for the screening, 2 weeks after I went for the big interview. They said the decision would be made in one week. How can 1 week be enough time to get evidence? I need to get evidence from Nigeria, speak to my friends, to the doctors. Its not enough time.

I went to the healthcare on mid December. I went for my Rule 35 report. The doctor gave me the Rule 35 report saying I am an ‘adult at risk’ and not meant to be detained. I have scars from torture. The doctor said they are satisfied I am victim of torture. I sent the report to immigration, 3 days later immigration called me, they have assessed the rule 35 report. They agree I am a victim of torture but they still want to detain me. I quoted their policy to them but they said they “don’t know”. Now I have been detained for 4 months.

I went for bail, with my 2 sureties. The judge mentioned about my case- this is not meant to be in the bail hearing, it is meant to be just am I a risk to the public, do I have a certain address and sureties. The judge said “I’m refusing bail because you didn’t claim asylum on time”. The judge is not meant to mention about this. He refused the bail. I applied again for Temporary Admission in mid December, they ignored it.

At the moment, I have got my new evidence from Nigeria and am making a fresh claim. I have a letter from medical justice supporting my fresh claim but I am waiting for the doctor. But I have a ticket for the charter Flight on Tuesday I don’t know if they are going to cancel my ticket? They need to defer the ticket, they need to cancel it, but I don’t know what the home office is doing?? I want to make sure I am not going on that plane. These charter flights are modern slavery.

They are not helping at all. They are not following the rules. They are treating people like they are animals. No human rights. They didn’t respect anything. They are not helping anybody.