In September last year, the Home Office began hastily adapting disused, pre-demolition military bases into camps to hold asylum seekers who had just crossed the English channel. As the UK’s Covid-19 infection rates soared to unprecedented levels, residents have been forced to sleep in communal blocks alongside strangers, with no opportunity to social distance or self-isolate, and no access to adequate healthcare. Last month, Napier barracks in Kent experienced a significant Covid-19 outbreak, with over 120 people inside testing positive.
Residents, local volunteers, charities and activists have all continued to speak out about the squalid and inhumane conditions inside: sustained electricity and heating outages; a lack of drinking water; blocked toilets; broken plumbing; and one shower being shared by up to 34 people are just some of the issues being highlighted. Fearing for their safety and unable to leave the camps, the residents – many who have fled violence, war and persecution – are also facing a worsening mental health crisis. Sadly there have been a number of suicide attempts.
The management of the barracks has been outsourced by the Home Office to the private firm Clearsprings Ready Homes, who have in turn subcontracted management to Nationwide Accommodation Services Ltd (NACCS). Despite their mismanagement of the accommodation and providing largely inedible food, Clearsprings Ready Homes is projected to make £1bn from their Home Office contracts over 10 years.
Join Lesbian and Gays Support the Migrants for an online rally to call out Priti Patel, the Home Office and Clear Springs Ready Homes, and demand that the UK Goverment close the camps. In this 45 minute session, you will hear from key organisations and individuals taking direct action and pushing for the closure of the army barracks, as well as find out about a number of practical actions you can take to support the various campaigns right now.
This is an opportunity to get together as activists to say NO to the shameful and inhumane conditions that are being forced upon asylum seekers in this country, not least in the context of a global pandemic. Whether you have a lot of experience or are joining a campaign for the first time, we welcome you to join us to be in solidarity with migrants.
⚡ Please have sign making materials ready (pens and card/paper) if you would like to be part of our live placard flash ⚡
🌈 Remember to use these hashtags when posting:
#PritiPlease #StandWithNapier #CloseTheCamps
Speakers include:
Zarah Sultana (Labour Party MP)
Care4Calais (Folkestone)
Survivors Speak Out // Freedom From Torture
Detention Action
SOAS Detainee Support
Liverpool Migrant Solidarity Network
Safer Spaces Agreement:
By attending our events, you agree to our Safer Spaces Agreement. The basic tenet is respect. LGSMigrants is committed to making our events as safe as possible, whilst recognising that it’s not possible to create spaces that are completely safe for everyone.
- Respect each other (our backgrounds, identities, ideas and bodies) and respect the spaces we create together and are part of.
- Everyone has an equal right to be heard and an equal responsibility to listen – be aware of how people might express themselves differently to you.
- However strongly you feel about a particular topic, abuse is never tolerated. Respect other people’s right to speak.
- Any behaviour that demeans, marginalises or dominates others, or perpetuates hierarchies, is not welcome.
- Identify your own privileges – the things that sometimes give you an easier ride than others – and try to be aware of them.
- Be aware of the range of people’s identities (gender, race, class) and avoid making generalisations or assumptions about people.
- Be aware that anyone in the space could be a survivor of a particular form of oppression, for example, violence or racism.
- If someone is feeling uncomfortable, do not hesitate to raise this.
- It is everyone’s responsibility to challenge prejudice and oppression, and if we ignore it we are complicit in it.