In Campsfield alone, 200 refugees are detained, although at any
one time 600-700 can be detained. In recent times the government policy
towards refugees has become harsher and harsher.
Nearby to Oxford is the UK's national refugee detention centre, called Campsfield House. This is essentially a prison, run by a profit- making organisation, Group 4, for people who have fled their homeland in order to escape harassment, torture, even death. Most of these people don't speak English, have little money, and no access to a lawyer.
In Campsfield alone, 200 refugees are detained, although at any
one time 600-700 can be detained. In recent times the government policy
towards refugees has become harsher and harsher.
They have trebled their allocation of places for refugees in detention centres and have become more sceptical about the refugees' stories of mistreatment, and the government often thinks the refugees are there to sponge off the welfare state. To counteract this, an act of parliament has recently been passed to cut off the welfare payments to refugees. This is presumably on the principle that if you cut off their money, they'll go home.
The government has also expended a lot of energy on redefining what a refugee is. This has led to the introduction of so-called 'white lists'. These are lists , drawn up by the government which say which countries are safe, and therefore cannot produce any genuine refugees. These countries include Nigeria, Indonesia, and China: countries where flagrant abuses of human rights are commonplace.
New legislation being introduced will shortly turn teachers, doctors, dentists, DSS officials and unions into police officers. Anyone who is obviously not British (i.e. black or Asian) will have to have their passports checked before being offered any government services.
At present, the government believes that it has a big problem with refugees although it only admits a tiny proportion, compared to other European countries, such as Germany and France.
Whilst on detention in Campsfield house, the refugees have little quality of life. Mr Justice Tumin, the government inspector of prisons, has found much to criticise in Campsfield. In his report, published in May 1995, he highlighted the lack of information for the detainees, the inadequate facilities, and the tension between the immigration service and the detainees and Group 4, a private security firm.
The detainees in Campsfield feel frustrated and angry. This is mainly because of their lack of freedom to argue their case. The detainees need access to fax machines, photocopiers and newspapers, particularly foreign ones.
Another negative aspect outlined by Mr Justice Tumin was that 'detention without time limit, no matter how reasonable the physical conditions, is extremely stressful.'
The refugees are denied the civil right of 'habeas corpus' this means that when detained, no-one has to answer to a magistrate about why the detainee has been detained, or how long they are being held. The refugees are just considered to be outside the law by the judiciary and the government.
Aggravation in Campsfield has led to riots. This has in turn led to an increase in the violence of the immigration officials and police, and resulted in the death of four refugees in recent years.
Are there detention centres for refugees near to where you live? If so, do you know anything about what they are like? Write and let us know, at cherwell@rmplc.co.uk