Protests at Immigration Detention Centre

BBC News reports that up to 15 demonstrators have forcibly attached themselves to the gates of an immigration holding centre to try to prevent impending deportation flights.

'Protesters have chained and glued themselves to the gates of an immigration centre near Gatwick Airport to stop detainees being deported.

The group, who attached themselves to the entrance of Tinsley House detention centre, claim Kurdish Iraqis are due to be flown back to Iraq on Tuesday.

The demonstrators said the deportees were being treated like criminals.'

That would be because they are criminals. They have violated British law to arrive here and as far as I'm concerned we owe them nothing.

The nonsense continues:

The demonstrators said a charter flight was due to fly from Stansted Airport to Northern Iraq later on Tuesday.

Brian Arcola, who was taking part in the protest, said: "Charter flights like this are the latest step in the government's macabre immigration policy."

He added: "Aside from the ethical implications of handcuffing and deporting innocent people under the threat of the baton, by not telling them when they're going to be deported, they deprive many people from adequate legal representation.
"If there's to be any truth in the claim that Britain is a tolerant, fair country, this has got to be stopped."

One person who was awaiting deportation said: " I've been in the UK for nine years. I have a partner and an 18-month-old son. If I am deported, all this will be gone.
"I've made a life for myself here, living as everyone else does in this country, but I'm now being treated like I'm a criminal, imprisoned then deported."

Up to 116 males, five females and four families can be held at Tinsley House detention centre.
Staff at the centre say the facility is similar to student accommodation and they try to foster a family atmosphere to make the detainees' stay as pleasant as possible.

There is so much wrong with this it's almost hard to know where to begin.

The latest step in the government's 'macabre immigration policy' is firstly that these people were allowed to arrive at all, secondly that they lived on the generosity of ordinary Britons whilst they were here, and thirdly that one of them has been here nine years before they got around to deporting him.

Mr Arcola also seems to be suggesting that if Britain is a tolerant, fair country, we must just accept and accommodate anyone who comes here because to do otherwise is inherently wrong.

What about being fair to British citizens and taxpayers? What about being fair to the many decent, productive and educated immigrants from places like Australia and Canada who bear the brunt of the government's misguided attempts to pretend they have an immigration policy and we actually have secure borders?

Where does this nonsense end? I personally feel it is wrong that a man can have 9 years here to build a life whilst knowing he may be thrown out - because he should not be here in the first place.

As for the comments of the staff - should the illegal immigrants' stay be pleasant? I'm not necessarily suggesting it should be unpleasant either, but really; who is paying for the 'family atmosphere'?

Oddly, English people who actually want to live in student accommodation and study at university have to pay through the nose - because places like this are hoovering up tax money that could otherwise go to subsidise (sensible) university courses.

I cannot believe that despite the fact 1 person in 9 in this country was born abroad, 720,000 foreigners were given a national insurance number last year, and there are certainly huge numbers of illegal immigrants we don't know about in the black economy, some people still feel we're not soft enough.

Maybe Mr Arcola should go and protest somewhere like Mexico or Saudi Arabia - oddly, these countries are never even gently chastised for there incredibly strict and draconian immigration policies and deporting illegals and asylum seekers without appeal.

Couldn't be the tiniest little touch of racism, could it?