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 9^th April till the 23^rd. 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.

There is one of the ladies that has a ticket and they wanted to take her to the airport yesterday from Yarl’s Wood. The day before they put a fresh claim and she got a lawyer through helen bamber and that meant she could put in a judicial review to stop the flight. They came for her but she wasn’t in her room, she was in another room and a lot of girls were there. There were about 8 of them. They were trying to protect her there because they wanted to take her by force. The officers went and reinforced themselves and they came back wearing helmets and shields. They tied them up with handcuffs and took them to kingfisher [segregation unit]. About three officers per one detainee. They shut all the doors so that no one could see them. They lady was taken to the airport but the ticket was cancelled on the way so they brought her back and put her in Kingfisher as well. She says that they twisted her head and that she has never experienced anything like that in her whole life, it was so traumatising. The officers packed all their stuff and when I spoke to them they said they were being taken to prison. So at the moment we don’t know what’s happened.

I’ve been in Yarl’s Wood for 9 months. A few days ago tried to kill my self. I put something the around my neck, I was unconscious my friend found me. My friend self harmed when she saw me. The officers instead of helping us they locked us up healthcare and then about 20 officers (only two women) came to take us to the block using force. They twisted our arms and held our neck down and took us. A male officer held me down and a female officer put their hands in my knickers to get my phone so I couldn’t tell anyone what was happening to me. They did similar to my friend. We were so scared.

I’ve had 6 bail hearings and they are all rejected on stupid points. I was trafficked in my country. I am scared of these people so much. How can they go in my knickers in front of male officers? I am so stressed.

A male officer tried to search me once. I told him not to come near me three times. But he didn’t stop so I punched him and gave him a bruise. The police came and they took me to court and the judge fined me £15. I feel like they sexual assaulted me. They can do anything.

We need support, we need mental health help but they just put us in the block with a metal toilet. They just threaten us with the block.

What’s going on is very terrible, it’s very bad. For instance, I’m very ill – I have high blood pressure. They checked me its 200 over 134. I couldn’t walk and they’re keeping me here. Every time they say you are pretending. The health care people say you are pretending. They are very very bad people. Everything you tell them they think you are trying not to go back. They don’t believe it. They keep adding to my medication, they add more but its not coming down. They keep adding more. It’s not good for me – it gives me headaches. I told them and they didn’t say anything. They stay stop thinking, because I am stressed. They say lie down – how can I do that. Here I don’t have anyone apart from your room mate to help me.

Today we have one lady from Ghana. She is very ill she doesn’t know what’s going on. I think she’s mentally tortured or something. She can’t speak for herself. She doesn’t know what is going on now. A lot of people are going tonight. 10:30 tonight and they are already going to reception. I think it’s terminal 5 in heathrow that they are going.

Around 2 o’clock we started to pray to ask whether they should stop taking them. We wanted to do protests with those who have got tickets. Another lady from another room has cancer and she’s gone to hospital and they handcuffed her to go to hospital – a person with cancer.

I’m not feeling good. I can’t talk.

One of our friends who is not well is being taken to a charter flight to Ghana. She’s not fit to fly – she doesn’t even know where she is. Everybody is saying why are they taken her. She is in the reception at the moment. We are waiting to see what happens. There is a protest because of her, everybody gathered in the corridor. I was with her when they called. Two officers came and said she had to go to immigration. She can’t speak for herself, she can’t even recognise her friends. There were about 40 something people in the corridor and then we came to the garden. We were talking to the officers saying that this is nor fair, this is not justice.

There are a lot of people on this charter flight, they are taking 20 people. There are people being taken that are sick.

Yesterday we went to another unit of to get sanitary towels from a woman officer. When we came back the male officer said “what is in your pocket” and he said he needed to search us and that we had stolen the sanitary towels and he was angry. But they are free so we didn’t understand why he was saying this. I went to my room, I was so stressed out. Why is it his business if we have period or not have period? If we need the sanitary towels we will have them. It’s not normal to have to show him. Where is our human rights?

We are stressed out about everything. This was a big deal – accusing us of stealing the sanitary towels in front of all the residents. We felt stressed and we self harmed – it was embarrassing. They said they would put us in Kingfisher which is the block. Another said “where is your dog friend?” – maybe because she is small, I don’t know. In front of everyone they said we had to put the sanitary towels back. Because we were upset, he said never come to me if you need help. He took my cross from my room and won’t give it back. They say that I can harm with the cross. In my religion I am orthodox so I don’t like when people touch the cross, it gives negative energy.

I refused to board because I did not get medical treatment for a serious complaint. A man and a woman guard took me to hospital where I had to undress for screening. I didn’t mind the woman guard being there but the man would not leave. I complained about lack of privacy to my solicitor in writing and tried to reach him by phone, but he has never responded.

We are living in constant fear not knowing what is going to happen even in the next few minutes! After the Channel 4 exposure – officers were still being rude, opening doors without knocking – one barged into my room while I was getting dressed- I challenged him but he claimed wasn’t looking and just stood at the door. It happened again recently with another officer – but he left when I screamed. Officers constantly demean us and make us feel worthless.

Many of us want Yarl’s Wood to be closed down because the conditions are appalling. I’m very ill and have very high blood pressure which healthcare know. I don’t know if it is the medications but I have pains all over my body and lumps are growing on my wrists. I got a chest infection and started spitting out blood but all they gave me was paracetomol. I am terrified of returning to my country. I left my husband because I am childless. He will kill me if he finds me.

Healthcare inside Yarl’s Wood is non-existent. When I was detained I lost my periods for four months. When I went to health care they said it was due to stress and that I should not worry‼ I’m very angry that we’re treated like prisoners -even when we are very sick.

When we try to complain the guards often claim it’s too late and close the office. We were given out of date yogurt – a month past its expiry date. So we complained but they said “you’re prisoners and that is all the government is ready to give you”.

There is a 58 year old blind woman who has been in here four months. The guards have threatened won’t let us help her. They say “stop helping – if she wasn’t able to help herself the Home Office would not have sent her here.” Recently one of the disgusting guards taunted this woman by offering her a glass of water and moving it around and out of her reach. Her new roommate stood up and cussed him out telling him not do that ever again. Ever since this incident she has been taking care of her blind roommate. But now she’s been given a ticket for 31 March. We believe it is a punishment because she is the only one helping this woman. We respect and help older women no matter what the guards say or how brutal they want to be.

We are suffering very much here in Yarl’s Wood. When we are sick the healthcare team say we are pretending. I have been very sick and recently vomited blood. I struggled to walk to healthcare and instead of being treated I was asked how did I manage to walk to here. I burst out crying. They eventually checked me discovered I have low blood pressure so they eventually gave me treatment. We are served dry and tasteless food which women have trouble eating. If we don’t get proper food our health gets worse and worse and this one of the reasons many of us are sick.