Meet The Sea Pickles !
These six girls, all aged 16 or 17, are going to swim the English Channel tomorrow to raise money for refugees. We have some fabulous supporters but these girls just about take the, er, pickle. Phoebe, Katie, Cleo, Tessa, Fenella and Freya call themselves the Sea Pickles, which we think is a truly brilliant name! The Sea Pickles decided that swimming the Channel was a great way to show solidarity with the refugees, who often cannot swim when they risk their lives by crossing the Channel in flimsy boats. This endeavour is such a brave and generous thing to …
Armin’s story
I was out on my morning bike ride when they came to my house. I had left as usual about 6.30 to have a bike ride before I left for my work as a teacher. As I approached the house when I came back, I could see three cars outside, and seven or eight people around the door. I hung back, and then my wife text me not to come home. I didn’t know it then, but when I had left home that morning, it was the last time I would see my children. My name is Armn, and I’m …
Flight stopped. Deportees saved!
Last night, at the 11th hour, five men were stopped from boarding a flight to Rwanda. In the morning, seven had been expecting to be on the plane. Through the day, four of those seven made individual claims to the British courts to stop them being forcibly sent. Three more men had their deportations stopped by an intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This meant there was no deportation to Rwanda yesterday. The ECHR gave four main reasons for its decision: – The Evidence from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees that asylum seekers in Rwanda …
Many deportees saved, some still threatened
Of the 113 people we are working with, ten still have documents saying they will be sent to Rwanda next Tuesday, 14 June. Thankfully a further 15 people who had these documents have had them cancelled thanks to the efforts of the amazing law firms we are working with. They will continue working on the other ten. Frighteningly it appears there are another seven people with removal documents whom we don’t know. Our great fear is that some of these people may not have lawyers to represent them. We were of course disappointed that our injunction application was denied by …
How we’re challenging the Rwanda scheme
We have spoken to over 100 people in detention who’ve been told they will be forcibly sent to Rwanda. Almost all are overwhelmed by total shock and despair. Many came to the UK believing it to be a good place that would treat them more fairly than the places from which they escaped. We say that the Rwanda plan is unlawful. We hope the courts will agree with us. Together with the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Detention Action, and four asylum seekers facing removal by plane to Rwanda on Tuesday 14 June, we have now issued judicial …
