As reported in the Morning Star on 1st November 2022 ‘Children have been calling out for help over the barbed wire of the asylum processing centre at Manston Kent. Migrant groups warn of an unfolding humanitarian disaster.
Over 4000 people are housed in inadequate conditions in premises that are designated to hold no more than 1500 people. People should be moved on after a few days but many spend weeks. The odious Home Secretary Braverman says that she’s doing everything possible and defined the people seeking seeking refugee status as invaders. And this just after someone lobbed a petrol bomb at the centre. Reports from Unions working in the Centre confirm the nature of the overcrowding and the risk to life.
Meanwhile companies responsible for housing once people have left the camps -G4S, Serco, Capita and Mitie the suffering is part of their profits. Record ones at that. Clearsprings contracted by the Home Office to manage hotels and other accommodation increased its profits sixfold last year with its three directors taking dividends of almost £28 Million! It has a ten years contract.
The Home Office is taking on average over 400 days to process a claim and many of its decisions once made are questionable often based on racist stereotypes and often overturned on appeal. This is why many migrant organisations call for this responsibility to be taken off the Home Office.
British exceptionalism and its supporters in the Main Stream Media of course make this seem as this is an uniquely British issue. In 2021 there were 48,540 asylum applications in the UK. Germany had nearly 130,000, France 96,510. Worldwide the figure hit 90 million fuelled by conflicts in Afghanistan, Burkino Faso, the DRC, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Nigeria.
In May this year the UNHCR stated that the number of forcibly displaced people passed 100 million for the first time. A number described as staggering.
Britain as a member of the UN Security Council has a responsibility to heed these words and take some action. But as the lap dog of the USA and by its ongoing imperialist pretensions it just adds fuel to the fire. Britain is a major war monger not just in Ukraine but also in the Middle East and continues to be a major arms exporter. Without a recognition that war drives migration there can be no lasting solution.
Economic sanctions and Blockades – war without bullets are measures taken by rich countries against poor nations. This is collective punishment and is designed to provoke internal dissent. Britain refuses to return Venezuela gold. Gold that could be used to help develop the nation and alleviate poverty.
43 million people are at risk of of falling into famine or a severe hunger crisis. Rising temperatures and extreme weather lead to more crop failures and it is right to say that the climate emergency is a humanitarianism emergency. This linked to war and extreme poverty means real hunger of which women and girls are most at risk.
To resolve this issue mean a real commitment and a new world order where the rich countries stop expropriating wealth from developing countries.
Britain’s immigration system in underpinned by both race and class. British politicians have for decades scapegoated millions of people who have sort to build a life in Britain. Windrush is a living
example but there’s much more. Many people who want to work and pay taxes etc. aren’t able to do so. Rather they are at constant risk of being deported to places where they will be at a clear risk. These people are subject to super exploitation. Capitalism red and raw”
The Communist Party stands with people who are subject to persecution and super exploitation. We have called for the closure of detention centres. We have called for the regulisation of undocumented citizens – many of whom who are known to the Home Office. We call for safe and legal routes into the UK. We will continue to challenge Britain’s imperialist actions and we will work with others to do so.
We welcome the decisions taken at the recent TUC Congress including the actions of the PCS Union is challenging the Rwanda Deportation Scheme and we continue to work with comrades and allies to make the case for an anti racist immigration and nationality processes.
Finally some people argue that the way to solve the issue migration is to allow free movement in regions. It clearly isn’t it is a matter that must be resolved through genuine international cooperation.
Within the EU anti migrant parties are gaining ground due in part to the failure of social democratic parties to challenge racism and to make the case for an anti imperialist future. On the Spanish Moroccan Border there exists the tiny Spanish occupied enclave of Melilla where Migrants were crushed and beaten by Moroccan Border Guards in June this year . It is estimated that 100 people died. Both authorities washed their hands of the deaths.
Our demands must be clear. We need to see an end to capitalism and imperialism in Britain and the world.