Independent Investigation Demanded by Yarl’s Wood Women

Ellie Keen — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:20:34 +0000

Press Release from the Black Women’s Rape Action Project:

Women in Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre, whom we are working with on a daily basis, have asked us to circulate their letter (see below) highlighting the appalling conditions and grave injustice they face in detention. Their demand for an independent investigation to “listen to our grievances and give us justice”, is being raised at the same time as front page newspaper articles expose the widespread destitution of asylum seekers, racist attacks and violence from immigration guards against people in the run-up to and during removal.

In this letter, addressed to the European Court of Human Rights, the United Nations and the media, women protest at:

Victims of torture and rape being detained.

Pregnant women being beaten.

Women being detained for long periods (one of the signatories has been held for over 11 months despite the fact that she cannot be returned to Somalia).

Racism – “The people who suffer mostly in the hands of cruel and brutal immigration officers are Africans and Asians among other continents thus evidence that racism is exercised so much in UK”.

The fast track procedure which allows only 24 hours for women to present their claim for asylum¹.

Appeal hearings and removals being imposed without notification.

Bail being refused despite women having “families with citizenship”.

Lack of interpreters – “They are never available when needed, even during asylum interviews”

Lawyers demanding money despite women having no money to pay and despite them being listed as legal aid solicitors.

Women’s experiences in detention mirror the findings of Legal Action for Women’s research: A “Bleak House” in Our Times: An investigation into women’s rights violations at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre found that over 50% of women had no lawyer and 70% of women had been raped. In addition, Black Women’s Rape Action Project and Women Against Rape’s ‘Misjudging Rape: Breaching Gender Guidelines & International Law in Asylum Appeals’ documents how women’s accounts of rape are met by hostility, racism and sexism.

From our daily work we know how often women have bravely tried to represent themselves at appeal hearings, sometimes when English is not their first language. A complete breakdown in legal representation has ensured that there are few or no lawyers available to represent women and those that do are often incompetent, lazy, negligent or even corrupt². One witness to a recent appeal hearing described a confused, young woman from Nigeria with limited English and shaking with fear, being forced to represent herself — the judge proceeded regardless.

There is also a dearth of other help. Grassroots groups like ours are carrying a disproportionate load in trying to provide support to women in detention, whilst established voluntary organisations, many of which have taken government contracts to implement asylum policy, say little about the injustice they see and know. Despite their substantial funding, there had been no corresponding increase in practical help for women facing removal back to possible torture, rape and even death.

Despite the real risk of reprisals, the letter has been signed by 22 women – some of whom are available for comment.

For more details or to speak to women contact:

Black Women’s Rape Action Project or Legal Action for Women: 020 7482 2496

Read the letter from arrested asylum seekers.

References:

1. Ms E from Cameroon recently won the right to stay under Article 3 of the Human Rights Act, overturning a refusal at an appeal hearing heard by immigration judge Warren L Grant inside Yarl’s Wood, under the fast track. Black Women’s Rape Action Project were able to find new lawyers to appeal, without which she would have been deported.

2. Black Women’s Rape Action Project can provide evidence of this if needed based on official complaints about lawyers.

Women Against Rape | ukwatch.net

Independent Investigation Demanded by Yarl’s Wood Women