"How can the Home Office separate me from my children? If they force me to go, I will die. I escaped Nigeria to save my life."
These are the words of a woman Priti Patel is threatening to send by force to Nigeria tomorrow.
She's just one of several mothers and grandmothers who will be torn from their British children and grandkids if this mass deportation flight is allowed to take off.
Responding to the news that the Home Office is planning to reopen Campsfield House in Kidlington as part of their Rwanda Plan, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Layla Moran said:
"This disgraceful decision reflects at best a failure of policy and at worst complete heartlessness from the Home Office. Our community fought for years to close this facility, and will be incredibly dismayed by this announcement.
As you will all know at the very last hour on 14 June the flight to Rwanda was cancelled due to the intervention of the European Court of Human of Rights. By this stage the original flight list of 130 asylum seekers had been reduced to only 3. Those who were forced onto the plane shared their truly harrowing experiences about being threatened, kicked and pushed. The National Independent Commission on Enforced Removals (2012) set up by Citizens UK set up after the Jimmy Mbenga tragedy made recommendations to avoid this happening again and on how to treat people being deported with dignity and humanity. This is also Lib Dem policy since 2018. Sadly the current government is not interested in how asylum seekers are treated.
The Home Office has told over 100 people that they face deportation to Rwanda, with the first flight scheduled this coming Tuesday (14 June). Numbers listed for this flight are reducing but we need to keep up the pressure.
Children and young people with family here in the UK are among those who face being sent 4,000 miles away to a country with a poor human rights record.
The plan only works if airlines take the Government's money to help them carry it out.
Most major airlines steer clear of deportations, thanks to tireless campaigning by grassroots groups and NGOs - most brands don't want to be associated with human rights abuses and misery. But some smaller airlines have refused to rule themselves out of this scheme.
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) has joined the campaign that is urging airlines not to get involved in these deportations - and need your helpto stop these planes. Without the support of these private airlines, the Government won't be able to carry out its cruel plans.
We were extremely disappointed by the recent Court decision upholding deportations to Rwanda. The appeal hearing is being held on Monday 13 June. The first flight taking deportees to Rwanda is on Tuesday 14 June. If you want to show your disgust at the government's cruel and humane policy you can:
Join the All Day Protest at the Royal Courts of Justice (9.00am-5.00pm) Strand London WC2A 2LL. There is also a protest outside the Home Office in Masham Street at 5.30pm
Join other protests across the country. See CareforCalais webpage outlining different ways you can help which includes info about demos taking place across the UK
