The protesting was amazing! I enjoyed every single moment. That was the time to let that anger out and put forward the craving for freedom. Yarls Wood is such a confinement and a depressing place that detainees were hoping that protesters would break the gate so we could escape. Some had their bags ready just in case. I am sure what we did will not be a waste. Thanks to everyone for such a great day.
I have been in detention for almost a year
*I HAVE BEEN IN DETENTION FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW WITHOUT ANY CRIMINAL CONVICTION. TO MY UTTER DISMAY, THE CASEWORKER IS TRYING EVERY AVENUE TO SPLIT ME FROM MY TWO CHILDREN BORN HERE IN THE UK.*
*HE ISSUED ME WITH A REMOVAL DIRECTION ON THE 23RD OF APRIL, 2015 AND SAYING THAT MY FAMILY COURT CASE HAS BEEN DECIDED IN MAY THE 23RD WHICH WAS A SATURDAY. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DECISION MADE IN COURT ON A SATURDAY.*
*HE HAS AGAIN WRITTEN TO THE COURT THAT I HAVE BEEN DEPORTED TO MY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A COURT HEARING DATE IN JUNE, PROMPTING THE COURT TO THROW OUT MY FAMILY CASE.*
*THIS IS A REAL JOKE AND IT SHOWS HOW THE IMMIGRATION COULD PLAY WITH THE LIVES OF DETAINEES AND THEIR FAMILIES.*
*MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY, AM BEING TORTURED AND BEING DRAINED PHYSICALLY AFTER ALMOST 50 WEEKS IN DETENTION WITHOUT ANY CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UK OR EVEN IN OWN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.*
*THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD KNOW THE INJUSTICE IN THE SOCIETY AND KEEP FIGHTING TILL THE END.*
*MANY THANKS AND LONG LIVE DETAINEDVOICES*
I feel your pain
Yes, I feel your pain because I was subjected to the same or similar psychological torture during my time in prison. I served a prison terms and while in prison, I was suffering from cancer and diabetes. I was on remand while my family was away on holiday. They refused my family back into the country and threatened my wife with taking away the children who are British from her and placing into care just because she is not British and I was on remand facing a criminal charge. In the end, they illegally deported my wife and children.
On finishing my sentence I was subjected to choose from getting deported too, after living in the country legally for thirtysix years or remain in detention to fight for my rights. In the end I was deported and guess what, the prison staff took away my medication and my medical records which I specifically requested for.
To begin to recount my experiences with the British judicial system is to reopen the wound or re-live the experiences all over again. I was being ghosted from prison to prison every four to five weeks just to unsettle me, excommunicate me from my family and discourage me from mounting a campaign against their rotten practices. One thing I can assure you is that abuse of human rights is rife in the British judicial system and they perpetrate these abuse with impunity in their prisons and detention systems.
I cannot see a change of heart coming anytime soon because it appears their (British) politics is that of ethnic cleansing by stealth while they are busy accusing other countries they feel they can intimidate with abuse of human rights. This tactics only deflects attention from themselves. But I am sure that with campaigns like these, somebody someday will rise up to ask questions on behalf of us the victims of injustice.
The electricity has been off in Harmondsworth
The electricity has been off in Harmondsworth for two and a half hours. there’s no water. No water in the toilets. none in the sinks for drinking our anything else. We ate outside in the grounds because it’s a blackout in there. They haven’t turned on the back up generator.
A security officer said they didn’t pay the bills. The company that is running the detention center, Mitie, they have to party the bills.
The other thing I wanted to say was that yesterday someone with diabetes and kidney problems had a doctors appointment that he had been waiting for for one and a half months. He knew the right time but the officer didn’t take him until an hour after the appointment bv and the doctor wouldn’t see him.
Where do I even begin about my immigration detention and where do I stop?
I have been in detention under immigration powers for 17 months and counting for enforcement of a confiscation order. I have no words to describe how the system is manipulated to favour the CPS and Financial Investigator on my case. I have no words to describe how a police officer turns up as Home Office witness in all my Immigration Bail hearings to present an non-disclosed evidence and made False Statement of Truth “that a Judge had ordered during my confiscation proceedings that I should not be released on bail until payment of confiscation order or deportation.” It is fair to say, that this huge Confiscation order which the SSHD is using her immigration powers exclusively for deportation/removal purposes, to enforce was an order, the defendant was never allowed adequate time and facilities to discharge my burden of proof. An order where the confiscation time table was repeatedly changed numerous times by the Financial Investigator with ulterior motive of possible guilty verdict in his wife’s case (where evidence CPS witness lied in her testimony and under oath). An order where I was even declared ‘missing whilst in custody’ and subjected under duress by my own Barrister to accept a settlement with prosecution without a contested hearing. An order where I had less 12 working days to present my defence and had to attend all my legal visits at a court to avoid the frustration of the SSHD and Prison Service.
Where do I even begin about my immigration detention which I akin to ‘concentration camp detention’ and where do I stop. Is it from the excessive movements/transfers from one immigration detention centre to one prison or another every second day? or Is it from lack of adequate medical care where I had to wait for over 21 months for x-ray on my lower back and told that a fracture was minor degenerative changes. or is it from my forceful movement back to prison after my solicitors had discovered and obtained court order to only see me in court building to take legal instructions. or is it from my detention at HMP Pentonville where my long distance learning course material and books taken away, my social visits cancelled whilst my wife and kids are standing outside the prison or incidents were prison staff constantly had to read my self-paid Newspapers and complete Sudoku before giving it to me at 8pm or staff telling me to vacate my bed space and mount a double bunk with four days old amputated thumb or incidents where I was called a “fucking black cunt” was incessantly victimised and punished for making complaints against staff. or is it from my detention in a prison facility until such a time when time had elapsed for me to challenge the SSHD decision at European Court of Human Rights. Or is it from the incident where the purpose/reason for maintaining my detention was dramatically changed from outstanding confiscation order to Asylum Claim after Bail for Immigration Detainees challenged my Home Office Caseworker. or is it from the incident where my Judicial Review to challenge the lawfulness of my detention was refused because the Counsel for the SSHD said it lacked focus as I personally prepared it.
The overwhelming plight of foreign Nationals in UK detention centres under immigration powers can never be captured through any report my case is a testimony. My dear mother sadly passed away after unbearable agony and frustration watching how police tried use a false witness to convict her daughter in-law. I have now been separated from my wife and four kids who are all British born and British Nationals for almost four years when added with the 17 months and counting in immigration detention. I recently received a letter from the Home Office to attend an Asylum interview at Colnbrook IRC at 1.30pm. I requested as advised from the same correspondence for tape-recorder because I do have a legal representative. The Home Office lady turned up at 8.45am and produced for this interview earlier scheduled for 1.30pm without my paperwork or tape-recording facilities I had earlier requested four days prior to this interview. I would conclude by saying that what my eyes have experienced in my 17 months and counting under immigration detention is beyond torture and something not expected in a democratic society like the United Kingdom.
I was scared and panic when I saw them
It was the 9/05/2015 at around 1 am, more than 12 people came to my room, I was sleepind and I was scared and panic when I saw them, I had asthma attack and they didn’t give my inhaler, I was short of breath and I was vomiting and at the same time, they hand cuffed me and put something aroung my back, and they attach something around my legs, they toke me by force and put me in the van, there was a nurse but he didn’t seem to care about my health, they toke me to the airport and I was sitting in the van, I saw 5police officers walking up the plane, they went to see the pilot and the pilot decide that he cannot take me. the brought me back to colnbrook.
He is ill and there is no treatment in Lithuania and so it is very stressful.
There is one guy, is on the roof. He is saying he’ll jump. He’s tried to kill himself. Because he is ill and there is no treatment in Lithuania and so it is very stressful. He’s not getting treatment.
Journalists aren’t looking at detention. The Home Office and Immigration is not listening. The situation is terrible.
I saw a detainee running toward the door and up onto the roof
I saw a detainee running toward the door and up onto the roof. The guy had a razor blade in his hand as well. He’s been here a couple of months now. Apparently it’s about his medication as well. They are going to deport him without medication.
There is a lockdown about a guy on the roof. They are not going to give us any hot food only a baguette apparently.
Everyone inside is banging on the doors. There are no human rights at all. There is no medication. They say you’re not entitled to it. There are people with HIV, Hep B, Hep C and they’re not getting any medication.
He’s not trying to run away, he’s trying to make a point.
A Lithuanian guy is in Dover Removal Centre – they can’t deport him. He’s been in pain because they’ve stopped his medication. They didn’t give it to him. He’s been asking for more treatment. The health care has been terrible recently.
This morning, he’s gone through a gate from one of the units when the officer opened it and climbed on the roof of one of the buildings. He’s on a building about 25 metres high on the other side of the building. It’s like a castle. And he’s saying that “if you come near me I’ll cut my throat or I’ll jump off the roof”. He’s not trying to run away, he’s trying to make a point. His friend says that he’s making the point that you can’t just keep people in here without proper medication.
I don’t know what they are doing about it because we are all locked in our rooms. I don’t know if they’ve called the police or not. Would they call the police? I think there are trying to do it themselves.
He is a very nice guy, he’s a very serious guy. I don’t speak his language but I was shocked when I saw him. I’m very worried for him. I don’t want him to kill himself. He’s a calm guy. But I’ve heard from his friends that he’s very angry.
I can’t see him but I called my friend – he’s been there for two hours. It’s not a joke, he’s not joking.
The management have sent a note under the door: “We are currently managing an incident and ask for your cooperation. Lunch will be served in rooms on the wings. We are working to resolve the incident shortly and as quickly as possible to enable us to return to our normal regime. Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated. Detention Centre Manager”.
I’ve told Russia Today but they say they need pictures but we can’t get the pictures. We are locked inside and we don’t have a phone to get pictures. A helicopter would see it if one came down. People should know about what happens here.
Lillija: This Saturday there is going to be a protest
A woman who had a ticket and everyone came into my room and I passed my keys to my friend because I needed to go to a legal visit. But the legal visit was cancelled. And so I went back to my room with Anna. We went back to my room and there was about 20 residents and the girl who had a ticket to Kenya. The manager came and told me and Anna “you two, you need to go out of the room”. I said “why aren’t you telling everyone else to go out of my room, It’s my room”. And she said “it’s not your room it’s our room”. And she said to Lucy that she needed to go to reception because she had a flight.
The manager went out, and all the girls were talking and saying we need to help her because we felt sorry for her and that she was going to be killed if taken back. We prayed together. She took her clothes off and got into bed behind us. The manager started threatening us saying “it’s not going to help for your case and your bail application”. They were only saying it to me and Anna. I say “we are not going out of the room!” and she said ‘thank you very much girls’.
And then she opened the door, saying “I’ll give you a last warning”. There were about 20 girls before but some were scared and left but 9 girls stayed in the room. We were only sitting in the bed and praying and singing songs from Church.
And then Officers started running in. We thought it was riot police. They started shouting hands up hands up. We get scared because they were very loud. And one officer started beating us with his shield edge and we recognised him shouting and said “Joe! Its you!” Other officer told him that you can’t do that, you need to push with the shield. I thought that he can kill us because with that edge. You can beat the head or the neck and by accident they can kill us. We put up our legs and he punched the under knee. Anna got bruises over her legs. Other officers only pushed with the shield not beating.
Other officers with normal clothes came and took us and the manager told other officers to restrain Anna. Anna said she has very big pain in her leg and she can’t walk. And the manager said “why are you pretending you can’t walk”. They put 7 of us in segregation. And when we were there they brought healthcare there and took photos of us.
They said I could go to hospital but I was scared to go because they said we would be moved to prison after.
5 girls were moved back to the unit the next day. Me and Anna remained in segregation.
A manager came down to segregation to say that we were going to be moved to prison. We were in segregation from the 9th April till the 23rd. two weeks we were there. It’s really cold down there and there are two many ants. We asked why they were only holding me and Anna and not others but they didn’t give reason. They said that they weren’t going to charge us but just to move to prison under immigration powers.
Anna got moved to Holloway prison and they wanted to move me to Wakefield prison. I had my bail hearing. The officers were telling me that I wouldn’t get bail and that I would have to apply from prison again. I tried and thank god I was released.
That Joe officer, that wasn’t the first time he made bruises on me. About 4 or 5 months ago they came in and did a room search on me. One of the officers started asking me loads of question and I got angry saying I did not want to answer the questions, your job is to do room search. I wanted to leave while the room search happened. I know that I can do that. And I left, and Joe grabbed me pushed me back in the room and held my arm up for about two or three minutes and I had big bruises after that. I showed the management and they made a photo and he was suspended for four months. And when he came back and said to me in the hall ‘thank you for a good holiday’.
Another girl’s room was going to be searched. The resident said she was getting dressed, without a bra. Joe wouldn’t leave the room. They called the manager. I think it’s unfair that Joe is working.
I hear he was suspended again.
Today there was a protest outside Holloway by Movement for Justice and Black Women Against Rape. They were protesting about Anna. I couldn’t go to the protest because I am in Yorkshire and I couldn’t get money to travel to London. I have no job and I have three children.
I think it is really good idea to protest for us. This organisation sees how immigration detention is so wrong. And how Anna is being punished and I think it’s not very good. There were many of us and Anna is in prison.
This Saturday there is going to be a protest outside of Yarl’s Wood. And I’ll be there as well.
detained voices 