SOAS deportations

From Lenin’s Tomb.

Below is a prime example of the ongoing state racism. It’s shocking and appalling.

You’ll remember that SOAS college has recently been the target of a campaign because of its sacking of a key union activist. Now, the union-busting process has acquired the assistance of the state. I am told that at 6.45 am yesterday, representatives form the Border Control Agency raided SOAS. The entire cleaning staff were in a meeting called by the contractors when up to fifty officers arrived. The immigration police interrogated the cleaners and eventually rounded up nine of them who they claimed were in the UK illegally. They were, eyewitnesses say, lined up against the wall, and marched into a room, locked inside, and forced to fill in some documents. They were given no legal representation, and no interpreters to assist in understanding the documents they were supposed to be filling in. If I understand matters correctly, the cleaners were due to be deported this evening. SOAS management say that the raid was carried out in a “sympathetic manner”, but disclaims any responsibility. Members of the Living Wage campaign don’t believe them, and students from SOAS have mounted protests over the raids with a number of members of staff have supported them.

Letter condemning deportations

Demo in solidarity of the SOAS cleaners @ 8:30am tomorrow

The raid’s timing fits in with the NL response to the rise in racism and of the BNP since the credit crunch: victimise the victims!  The idea is that if NL acts tough towards immigrant labour then it will have a stick to beat the Tories and the Lib Dems. The truth of course is that the monster will be fed with what makes it grow. In the meantime the SOAS cleaners have become the direct victims of state racism.