A- Z workspace
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INTRODUCTION- Why No Borders?
No Borders is a transnational network of groups struggling for the freedom of movement for all and an end to all migration controls. It is also an anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian position shared by many who are not necessarily part of a No Borders group. This booklet is a tool; a tool for thinking, discussing and taking action under the No Borders banner. Borders, migration and refugee issues are a complex world of organisations, companies, government agencies and acronyms. This is no accident but the result of a political and economic system based on exploitation and the relentless desire to control and to make profit. This A-Z provides some definitions which we hope will be a starting point to understanding a position against borders and taking action to achieve this goal. As well as explaining some of these organisations and terms in simple language it also gives a taste of the huge range of resistance and campaigns that exist to get involved with. This action is increasingly urgent as the repressive state immigration policies wreak havoc on thousands of lives around the world.
From the land enclosures and Highland clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries, to the ‘migration management’ policies and surveillance of today, those in power have sought to control the movement of people. Fear of the ‘other’ is encouraged, and ordinary people are pitted against each other for apparently scarce resources, whilst certain sections of society consolidate their wealth and control. Categorisations such as 'alien,' ‘immigrant,’ ‘illegal’ and ‘foreigner’ create divisions that divert attention away from the real causes of poverty, environmental destruction and inequalities both in the UK and worldwide, i.e. Capitalism and unequal power relations. The No Borders network adopts an explicit anti-capitalist position, seeing capitalism as at the root of social injustice and inequality. As an anti-authoritarian network, No Borders rejects all forms of domination and social control.
No Borders, No Nations, No Deportations! While this is clearly an ambitious goal, when we look at the historical context of nation states and immigration controls and their function the relevance of the position becomes clear. The nation state only became the foundation on which our political, economic and social lives are organised in the eighteenth century. Immigration controls were then introduced as a way of managing who entered these countries and for what purpose. The first immigration controls in the UK were set up in 1905 to prevent the inward migration of Jewish refugees, as a direct result of fascist agitation.
Despite their economic and political foundations, the idea that nations
are somehow natural continues to shape how we think about ourselves and
others. “The ‘imagined community' of a country is created, the members of
even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members,
meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image
of their communion” (Benedict Anderson, 1983). This illusion of harmonious
common interests within the ‘nation’ disguises the huge inequalities of
power and resources that exist in a system based on the exploitation of
the many for the profit of the few. It also denies similarities of
experience between people across the globe who feel the negative effects
of this system.
In stark comparison to these imagined communities the impacts of borders and the nation state system are very real. War and genocide, immigration controls, detention centres, dawn raids, surveillance and monitoring, racism and xenophobia, thousands of deaths as people attempt to cross borders. Many profit from this system of control. This happens both directly through the running of immigration prisons as well as by managed migration of the global labour market. Whilst capital flows freely, the movement of people is controlled and restricted.
Through efforts to increase power and amass wealth, capitalism and imperialism have created a huge gulf between the comparatively rich ‘nations’ of the West and developing countries, and this parasitic relationship continues. Rich countries exploit the land, resources and people in the majority world in order to fuel profit driven economies and consumer societies. Of course there are vast inequalities within countries and this exploitation is driven by the interests of a minority which is increasingly transnational itself, with global elites cooperating to maintain their dominance. Borders are necessary to defend the wealthy and to maintain this inequality. ‘nation states’ and protectionism are economically and politically desirable in this system, promoting the economy, managing the labour market and enforcing the borders, whilst others flee the very wars and poverty caused by this violent cycle or live exploited and precarious lives as 'illegals' or asylum seekers.
Since the movement of people generally follows the movement of wealth, it is no surprise that whilst the British ruling class conquered and exploited much of the world, people living in the areas that become impoverished and plundered follow the wealth to the UK. In this way border controls can be seen as a clumsy attempt to avoid the payback of imperialist conquest and exploitation. Those who have been dispossessed by imperialist domination during the age of empire and more recent capitalist neo-colonialism are well within their rights to demand a share of the wealth that is created off their backs. The No Borders network aims to support the interests of the people who have decided to take this hard and dangerous path and solidarity is essential in the global struggle against exploitation and oppression in all its forms.
Borders, and the immigration controls that mark them, create a social hierarchy of legal/illegal, documented/undocumented, and citizens/non citizens, whilst protecting a system that puts the needs of capitalism before the needs of people. Through No Borders, we are struggling for freedom of movement for everyone, not just those that are deemed worthy by the system. At its core then, No Borders is a position that rejects this categorisation, which defies racist distinctions and believes that where people are born and their ‘nationality’ should not dictate their lives. Rather, we call for Freedom of Movement for All and for collective, autonomous forms of organisation.
Since 1999 people acting under the No Borders banner have been directly targeting the structures and organisations that uphold the system of migration management. They have set up many No Border camps round the world to take action, learn together and bring attention to the reality of border controls. In the UK the No Borders network is a platform for exchange of information and experience among groups and individuals involved in different political struggles with an anti-capitalist perspective. We also work together with self-organised groups of migrants and act in solidarity with detainees, workers struggles and those threatened with deportation. Alongside migrant groups, we are involved in campaigns against a range of corporate and state targets including detention centres, airlines that deport people, corporations and security firms profiting from the system of migration management, the International Organisation for Migration, and against ID cards.
We call for a radical movement against the system of control, dividing us into citizens and non-citizens. We demand the end of the border regime for everyone, including ourselves, to enable us to live another way, without fear, racism and nationalism.
Contents |
A
Amnesties - A process which asks those who are in the country 'illegally' to come forward and be offered status. These regularisations have taken place in the US and Spain. Many human rights organisations and politicians are campaigning for an amnesty for failed asylum seekers in the UK. While an amnesty could make life a lot easier for those who were granted status they are controvesial as they are conditional, such as on proving value to the country. Amnesties are also likely to increase anxiety and precarity for those not granted status, and would prejudice those not in the country already. Amnesties are ultimately concessions by the state, usually to the benefit of the national economy or labour markets.
Angel Group - The Angel Group is a corporate housing provider contracted by the Home Office to house refugees in around the UK including Birmingham, Leeds. It has become the target of campaigns by No Borders groups for profiting from housing refugees in squalid over-crowded conditions, reportedly without gas and electricity.
Anti-Semitism - Although it has a much longer history the term was coined in the late 1800s to specifically describe racism against Jewish people. The first modern immigration controls in Britain, the Aliens Act of 1905 was a response to anti-semitic agitation. Contemporary Anti-Semitism has led to the targeting of Jewish people, not as inferior or essentially different, but rather as all-powerful and conspiring, secretly pulling the strings behind the media, government and the economy. As such Anti-Semites often blame Jewish people for economic downturns and crises.
Anarchism - A political philosophy from the 19th century and a way of organising society that holds that society can and should be organised by free agreements between people, without government. Derived from the Greek -without rulers - anarchism suggests that people can manage their own lives and that authority should be abolished. As an anti-state analysis, many who take a No Borders position, are also anarchists seeing the freedom of movement for all as dependent on the end of the nation state. However, not all No Borders activists in the UK are anarchists.
Anti-Capitalist - The No Borders network is 'anti-capitalist'. This is not a dogmatic position based on the study of Marx's and Engels' complete works, but a practical starting point from where we discuss solidarity with international workers' movements, criticism of globalisation processes or the causes of wars, poverty and environmental destruction. It also identifies our alignment with the global anti-capitalist movement and shows our commitment to building alternatives not based on profit and power for the few at the expense of the many.
Asylum Seeker - A person who is seeking to be recognised as a refugee is an asylum seeker. They must prove that they are someone who "Owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country" (1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees). In other words a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution. Refugees have been given legal permission to stay, whereas asylum seekers are in the, often very long, process of trying to prove they have the right to stay. No Borders does not distinguish between these categories but believes in Freedom of Movement for All [see also: Environmental Refugee, NAM, NASS].
Autonomous Movements - Social movements which are not party political or religious and are not seeking to take state power. Within the international No Borders network some have made the argument that the act of migration itself should be understood as an autonomous social movement. Those who advocate this position point to the inadequacy of the 'Fortress Europe' metaphor, which creates the perception of an impenetrable border regime. Every day, migrants do manage to enter Europe in multiple ways. Arguably, this should also dispel the perception of migrants as victims and instead show them as creators of their own fortune.
Appeal - People who have been refused asylum can appeal against the decision. Many win on appeal, largely because most asylum claims are not given a fair hearing. In 2006, for example, 47% of Somalis, 44% of Eritreans and 41% of Zimbabweans who appealed had their refusals overturned. [see also: Legal Aid] [1]
B
Balanced Migration - Literally a quota system that would only allow people in to the country when someone else leaves, therefore avoiding obligations under Geneva Convention. It is usually a euphemism for a call for stricter immigration controls and is often used by anti-immigration pressure groups.
BMI - An airline responsible for carrying migrants who are being deported from the UK against their will by the British Government. The subject of a campaign initiated by No Borders South Wales following the deportation of Babi Badalov, a homosexual artist from Azerbaijan involved with No Borders South Wales, who sought asylum in the UK before being deported on a BMI flight. 'Shut Down BMI day' occurs regularly on the twentieth of each month. [see also: Deportation]
Borders - Boundaries enforced and defended by the rulers of nation states to define the part of the world they claim as 'theirs'. Historically, borders have been drawn and redrawn according to the interests of those in control. Colonialism, control of natural resources and economic power are just some of the factors influencing where these borders have been created. Borders are used selectively to include and exclude, the movement of people across borders is regulated and controlled, while capital can flow freely. The border can be seen at work at entry points, but also through detention of migrants, document checks in workplaces, dawn raids on homes, and in the divisions that have been created between people.
Brook House - The second Immigration Reception Centre to be built on British Airports Authority land at Gatwick Airport. Part of the massive expansion of the detention estate announced by the UK Borders Agency in early 2007, the 430 bed-capacity centre opened in March 2009 and is run by GSL/G4S. [see also: Gatwick, Tinsley House]
Byrne, Liam - Minister for immigration (2006 - 2008). Was responsible for a major restructuring of the immigration system in Britain, including the introduction of the 'points-based system'.
C
Calais - Calais is a zone of non-rights, where British border controls have been extended to France (via a so-called 'Juxtaposed Control Zone'), and the French and UK governments have joined forces. The situation for migrants trying to enter the UK is horrific. Around 800 people live in makeshift camps (known colloquially as "The Jungles") around the town where brutal repression of migrants is increasing. UK and French groups are working together in solidarity with migrants in Calais... [see also: Sangatte, Offshore Border Controls]
Capitalism - The 'capitalist mode of production', or capitalism, is an economic system based on private ownership, a 'free' market, people selling their labour and the accumulation of profit being protected by the legal system. It is indirect exploitation of people's creativity for the sake of profit. Other forms of domination - feudalism or slavery, say - were direct in that the serf or slave was forced to work for the lord or master. In capitalist society we are forced only indirectly in the sense that if we don't work, we don't eat (well). No Borders imagines a society free of both direct and indirect coercion.
Categorisation - Many categories have been created to classify, define and label people who move: “asylum seekers”, “refugees”, “internally displaced”, “victims of trafficking”, “economic migrants”, “immigrants”… “tourists”, “ex-pats” . Putting people in boxes in this way hides the wide range of circumstances which lead individuals to move, and affects the way people who move are viewed – “desirable”/“undesirable” "deserving"/"undeserving", "citizens"/"non-citizens". The way people are labelled reflects the interests of the privileged. Categorisation can be seen as a method of control designed to create divisions, to confine people, and to limit the possibilities open to them.
Cultures - Cultures are not static, monolithic things, but are contested and dynamic processes of identification which are constantly in flux. The 'British/English culture' is not under threat - it is simply changing, as it always has. Preserving the 'British culture' - or indeed any other one - would thus mean 'freezing' a historical process at a certain moment in time in order to 'stabilise' society.
Consensus - Consensus is a decision-making process, used by No Borders groups, that attempts to include all participants in making the decision. Instead of a simple voting process, where the majority of the group get their way, or a hierarchical system where those at the top take decisions on behalf of the rest, instead groups are committed to finding solutions that everyone can live with. This ensures that everyone's opinions, ideas and reservations are taken into account.
D
Deportation - Adminstrative or forced removals are carried out when someone is sent out of a country under immigration laws, e.g. having asylum claim refused, overstaying a visa. Deportations on the other hand are reviewed by a court and are personally endorsed by the Home Secretary, e.g. following a conviction or on public security grounds. However, despite the legal distinction, the word 'deportation' is often used by campaigns/groups to cover both . In 2007 the UK government deported 63,140 migrants. Airline companies are a key link in the deportation industry. Without them it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for the state to implement this aspect of the migration regime and there can be no migration controls without deportations. People who are being deported are often handcuffed on the flight and there have been a number reports of physical assaults on deportees by the security personnel who escort them. Between 2005 and 2007, 1,173 attempts at removal were halted as resistance by the detained person meant the airline wouldn’t carry them [see also: BMI, XL Airlines] [2]
Destitution - Most people whose asylum claims have been refused by the Home Office are not entitled to any support or accommodation, they are not allowed to work, and cannot access healthcare. The threat of destitution is used to try to force people to agree to 'voluntary' return, and to leave the UK even when this may be impossible, for example if the country they came from is not safe to return to. Thousands of people who have sought asylum in the UK become destitute, sleeping rough.
Detention Centre - (also known as Immigration Removal Centres, Immigration Prisons) Thousands of migrants, including children, are locked up in special prisons, disguised under various names, for committing the 'crime' of fleeing wars or persecution or wanting to improve their lives. Without trial and with no automatic bail review, they can face months and years of incarceration before being forcibly deported to unsafe countries. Detention has become an integral part of the UK immigration system and is one of its most brutal and dehumanising aspects, whereby innocent and vulnerable people are interned in prison for political ends, in terrible conditions. The use of detention is increasing, with the UK Borders Agency announcing a 60% increase in bed spaces. 8 of the 11 Immigration Detention/Removal prisons in the UK are run for profit by private companies.[see also: Brook House, Harmondsworth, Yarl's Wood, Dungavel]
Dispersal - People seeking asylum in the UK can't choose where they want to live. The UK Borders Agency sends people to cities across the UK, regardless of community links or cultural ties. This is dispersal, a policy which has led to people being isolated from community networks, unable to access legal representation, and housed in areas without appropriate support services [see also: NASS].
Direct Action - An important tactic used by No Borders groups. By Direct Action we don't mean demonstrations or publicity stunts, but those actions that have a direct, unmediated impact on people's lives. When asylum seekers resist their deportations, when activists block the paths of snatch squads, when neighbours hide migrants from immigration officials - none of these actions ask for the rights to do so, ensure their legality or involve MPs or politicians. They are direct interventions to make our lives better.
"Don't' Ask, Don't Tell" - Colleges, health services and so on are increasingly being asked to police immigration law through checks on immigration status of people they come into contact with. In relation to immigration, Don't Ask, Don't Tell campaigns encourage workers in these services to refuse to implement this aspect of border control.
Dungavel - Detention centre/immigration prison in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, where men, women and children are incarcerated. Other detention centres in the UK include Campsfield, Lindholme, Oakington, Haslar, Colnbrook, Dover and Tinsley House, and are the target of active campaigns to shut them down [see also:Immigration Removal Centre].
Dublin II Regulation - [Previously known as Dublin Convention] An agreement between EU member states which says that people seeking asylum can make only one application for asylum in the territory of the EU, and can be forcibly returned to the EU state held responsible for deciding on their claim (usually the first one they arrived in). When people are returned to that state, they can be unable to access asylum procedures so often don’t have their case heard and are deported back to the situation they originally fled from. An example of this in action can be seen at Calais, where UK and French authorities work together to stop people seeking asylum from reaching Britain. [See also: Schengen Agreements, Calais]
E
eBorders – Part of the UK’s new border control system that will aim to collect and store electronic information on all people entering and leaving the UK. The e-Borders Operations Centre, the physical location of this information database, is to be housed near Manchester, (the precise location is secret). By the end of 2009 the database is to track and retain the international travel records of all 250million passenger movements in and out of the UK, storing names, addresses, telephone numbers, seat reservations, travel itineraries and credit card details. 'Trusted Borders' is a consortium of private companies that has the contract for providing eBorders technology to the UK government. Includes Raytheon Systems Limited, Serco, Accenture, Detica, QinetiQ, Steria, and Capgemini.
Environmental Refugee - The millions of people displaced due to natural disasters, development processes such as the construction of dams, deforestation or any of the vast consequences of climate change are excluded from the definition of refugee given in the Geneva Convention [see also: Asylum Seeker]. As climate change continues, it is expected that there will be millions more environmental refugees. Whilst the 'developed' world is almost entirely responsible for producing greenhouse gases, the primary cause of climate change, the effects are mostly felt by the majority world. No Borders supports a transnational response to climate change against the capitalist system that is the root cause of environmental destruction.
Economic Migrant - A term introduced to further demonise those migrants who move to a second country for reasons other than fleeing persecution. Having significantly increased the restrictions on the ability of migrants to successfully claim asylum in recent years, the major target of EU migration legislation has become the undocumented worker. Of course, wealthy migrants that are able to pay their way and have rarely been subject to migration controls, do not come into this category. The term is often used in a defamatory way by the UK government and the mainstream media who talk about ‘British Jobs for British Workers’ and ‘influxes’ of economic migrants. To counter this argument many liberal groups argue that economic migrants are beneficial for the UK, bringing in skills and filling gaps in the labour market. However this liberal response creates a hierarchy of economically beneficial and unbeneficial migrants. This hierarchy is reflected in migration management policies such as the ‘Points Based System’[see also: Migration Management]. No Borders rejects the term ‘economic migrant’ and any other categorization of individuals based solely on their economic status-freedom of movement for all!
Eurodac - A Europe-wide fingerprint database established in 2000, which is used to determine whether when detained an asylum seeker has made a previous claim in another EU country and "facilitate the application of the Dublin Convention". [see also: Dublin II Regulation] [3] [4]
European Neighbourhood Policy - Political and economic framework whereby, amongst other things, the EU can effectively externalise it borders and immigration controls to countries running from Morocco to Ukraine. Many of these like Ukraine and Libya are paid, by Partnership and Cooperation Agreements, to operate EU detention centres and anti-migrant patrols on their territories.
F
Fortress Europe - This is a powerful term used to describe the EU's repressive border regime as maintained by Frontex. The term has received attention way beyond those campaigning against borders as many more have used it to criticise Europe's policies to restrict, and virtually make it impossible, to enter the area freely. Others however have pointed to the limitations of the slogan. [see also: Autonomous Movements European Neighbourhood Policy]
Frontex - The EU agency which conducts migrant hunting operations, trains border guards and special units to hunt down people crossing borders, and helps to coordinate and standardize EU immigration surveillance and control policies. "together, the Frontex agency and the border code represent the state-of-the-art of EU co-operation on management and control of borders". Franco Frattini, Frontex. The effects of Frontex can be seen clearly at the Southern edge of the EU where migrants cross from West Africa to the Canary Islands where the rate of deaths due to drowning, hunger and thirst among those who leave Africa by sea has increased significantly. Frontex and its deadly policies are a target of activists against migration control and border surveillance, and for freedom of movement for all. In June 2008 a day of action to shut down Frontex took place at the headquarters of Frontex in Warsaw. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Freedom Of Movement For All – A popular slogan used by the No Borders and other associated networks. ‘Freedom of movement for all’ embodies the political stance that any person, regardless of their ethnic background, economic status, gender, sexuality or any other demographic should be able to move freely, autonomously and with dignity. The slogan rejects the categorization of migrants into ‘asylum seeker’, ‘bogus asylum seeker’, or ‘economic migrant’ and the political system and social structures that maintain these definitions
Freedom To Stay - Poverty, privatisation of services, colonisation, war, exploitation of resources, and destructive interventions by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are the background to flight and migration for hundreds and thousands of people. The No Borders network works for an end to conditions which can force displacement, and for a world where people have the freedom to stay or to move as they choose.
G
G4S - (Group 4 Security)- A multinational corporation who provide security and profit from detention centres. They are involved in Tinsley House, Oakington and Dungavel. G4S also has the contract for the transportation of asylum seekers and immigration detainees, and for short term holding centres in UK ports and airports, and in Coquelles and Calais [see also: Off-shore Border Controls, Short Term Holding Facilities].
GSL - Global Solutions Limited, now part of G4S, runs Brook House detention centre.
GEO - Another multinational involved in designing and running detention centres such as Campsfield.
Gatwick - The first UK No Border camp was organised near to Gatwick Airport in September 2007. Several hundred people gathered for discussion, workshops, demonstrations and planning actions, to try and stop the building of a new detention centre called Brook House on airport land, and to gather ideas for how to build up the fight against the system of migration controls. Gatwick was chosen because it is a border in the middle of Britain. People arrive there everyday. People are forcibly deported from here everyday. It is a place where people are imprisoned for unlimited lengths of time without trial, where people are forced to hide underground and be invisible, where people are treated as criminals for the 'crime' of crossing the border. [see also: Brook House]
H
Harmondsworth - In 2006, this detention centre was the subject of a damning report by the Prisons Inspectorate, which highlighted appalling conditions, endemic racism and victimisation of detainees by staff, and numerous self-harm and suicide attempts by detainees. Mass protests spread through Harmondsworth after staff at the Kalyx-run centre stopped detainees watching a TV news item on the report. The centre was seriously damaged, the detainees were moved to other detention centres and prisons, and the centre was closed for some time – as it was after another protest in 2004. [see also: Detention, Kalyx, Yarl's Wood]
Home Office - Originally the government department concerned with security, public protection and the justice system. A reorganisation in 2007 saw the hiving off of the criminal justice arm, including prisons, to the Ministry of Justice. The management of borders and the detention estate remained within the Home Office under the Border and Immigration Agency until reorganised into the UKBA in 2008. [see also: UKBA]
I
ID Cards - On 25th November, the British state began its roll-out of biometric ID cards by imposing them first on migrants. Foreign spouses and nationals from outside Fortress Europe who apply for, or renew, study visas now have to attend a UK Border Agency Centre for interrogation and fingerprinting. Details are held indefinitely on the National Identity Register database, and an ID card containing personal info and biometric data (fingerprints and digital image) is issued. Over the next three years, the government aims to force other groups of non-EU nationals to undergo the process, along with UK airline workers, who are fiercely opposing the plans and have threatened industrial action against the scheme. No Borders groups and others are working against ID cards, with protests taking place across the UK on the day the roll-out began.
ILR - Indefinite leave to remain, meaning permission to stay permanently in the UK. One of a number of statuses which the government can grant to migrants. To get ILR, a person has to meet certain conditions including speaking English to a required standard and passing a test of their knowledge of ‘life in Britain’.
Immigration Controls - Immigration controls are often taken for granted, but are actually a recent phenomena. The first restrictions on immigration to the UK came into force only a little over 100 years ago. Since then, restrictions have become stronger and harsher.
Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) - The government newspeak term for an immigration prison or detention centre. The places where migrants are placed in 'administrative detention'. [see also: Brook House, Detention Centre, Dungavel, Yarl's Wood]
IOM - IOM - the International Organisation for Migration is the intragovernmental 'migration management' agency. It was set up to counter balance the UNHCR which has a mandate to “protect” refugees. The IOM’s role is the creation of border regimes in the interests of capital. In the UK it effectively blackmails migrants who have been pushed into poverty or desperation to return to their 'home' (non EU) countries ‘voluntarily’ in exchange for a small amount of money This is cheaper for states than detention and violence, but only works in conjunction with it.
Islamophobia - Refers to non-progressive criticism and often violent rejection of Islam and Muslim immigrants. Muslims are falsely seen to belong to a homogeneous and rigid 'culture' that is perceived as essentially different from and non-compatible with British (or Western) 'culture'. Islam is described as backward, anti-Western and 'terroristic'. This perspective is shared by Western states that can use and foster Islamophobic sentiments to build their new security architecture and step up population controls.[See also: Culture, Security, Xenophobia]
J
Judicial Review - A judicial review is when the courts examine a decision or action made by a public body, such as the Home Office, to check if it acted lawfully. Many actions in relation to both the cases of individual’s claiming asylum, and the treatment of migrants more generally have been found to be unlawful after judicial review. A judicial review does not challenge the decision made on whether a person is granted asylum or not, [see Appeal] but can look at whether the immigration authorities have followed procedures correctly. Applications for judicial review are made to the High Court. [9]
Justice for Cleaners - Cleaners, many of whom are migrant workers, have fought back against companies like London Underground, Schroders investment bank and Goldman Sachs which use subcontracted cleaning firms with poverty wages and poor and precarious working conditions. Immigration raids have been used to intimidate workers and try to break solidarity. In the face of suspensions of activists and deportation of colleagues, cleaners continue to unite and organise for justice, both in union-backed campaigns like Justice For Cleaners, and autonomously. Recent demonstrations have taken place in support of sacked colleagues at Willis investment bankers and at Amey Plc.
K
Kalyx - private company running Harmondsworth detention centre, where loads of protests have taken place about conditions. Formerly known as UK Detention Services, Kalyx was originally formed as a joint venture between Corrections Corporation of America, McAlpines & Mowlem. They renamed themselves after 'the protective covering of a flower bud' (calyx) to symbolise the 'protection and care' they provide. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dutch multinational Sodexo.[see also: Detention Centre, Harmondsworth]
L
Legal Aid - One big problem for asylum seekers is that their entitlement to legal aid has been cut dramatically over the last few years. The entire asylum process relies on the 'fair, justice process' but without access to good legal advice, translation and support, many cases are lost. Some cannot even afford to apply for asylum and are forced underground [See also: Asylum Seeker, Destitution].
Libertarian - An antonym of authoritarian, the Libertarian principle puts freedom (understood as non-interference) as the only thing that can be legitimately demanded of others. This includes freedom of movement, however due to the fudging of the term by propertarians (those who believe in property rights) mostly from North America (and now also the UK Libertarian Party), many Libertarians who oppose privilege and believe in the principle of equality refer to themselves as 'Libertarian Socialist' or even "Social Anarchist". Some people within the No Borders Network describe themselves in these ways. [see also: Anarchism]
Local Immigration Teams – Part of the UK Borders Agency, Local Immigration Teams are responsible for enforcing border and immigration law, including tracking down migrants, gathering ‘intelligence’, detaining people and carrying out forced removals. Currently being introduced across the UK, there will eventually be 70-80 teams. [10]
M
Migration Management - Migration controls in the UK are not simply based on racial profiling but often follow the logic of economic profit. The government might at times encourage certain types of migrants to work, study or even settle in the UK, while it tends to restrict entry to those who are not seen as 'beneficial' to the economy. The government might also attempt to influence migrants into leaving the UK, for example through the IOM. This is why, instead of immigration controls, some prefer to speak of migration management [see also: International Organisation on Migration, Points-based System].
Migration Watch - Extreme right-wing think tank and influential lobbying group. Migration Watch's claims to be 'independent and non-political' don't stand up to scrutiny. Migration Watch's previous head was David Coleman, who also held office in the Eugenics Society and its successor the Galton Institute, which advocates the 'improvement' of populations through breeding, proclaims the superiority of the white race, and denounces inter-breeding.
N
New Asylum Model (NAM) – Introduced in 2007 with the aim of dealing with asylum claims as quickly as possible, reducing chances of successfully claiming asylum and speeding up removal from the UK. Criticised as people seeking asylum have to immediately divulge all the sensitive information relating to their case, and often cannot get support or proper legal advice or representation in time. Cases are ‘fast-tracked’, many are decided on within 11 days [see also: Asylum Seeker] .
NASS - The National Asylum Support Service (NASS), set up by the Home Office in 2000, created a separate system of housing and financial provision for people seeking asylum in the UK. As well as being unable to work, asylum seekers are unable to claim the normal state benefits that a British citizen is entitled to, or to access council housing. Instead, asylum seekers are given minimal financial support and dispersed to poor quality housing owned by private companies. Asylum seekers receive around a third less than a British citizen would get on Income Support. NASS was dissolved in 2006, but the separate system remains in place, under the remit of the UK Borders Agency. This system has forced many people into destitution, malnutrition, and homelessness.
Nations - The modern world is divided into nations. Most people assume that it has always been that way or that this is the most 'natural' way of distinguishing between groups of people. But nations are actually specifically historical constructs that have become communities of allegiance for many. The terms of inclusion and exclusion into a national group is always changing, and any perceived common values or identity based purely on nationality are thus 'imagined'.
Nationalism – Nationalism is a product of a manufactured loyalty. People are encouraged to feel pride and unity with people who coincidently they share a place of birth with. Based on the false premise of shared identity, nationalism is an example of how the powerful maintain power by divide and rule, ‘us’ and ‘them’.
Network- A loose network of groups in the UK has been working on No Borders issues for several years. Since the No Border camp at Gatwick in 2007, the network has been growing. There have been 3 network wide gatherings since then and there are active groups in several major UK cities including Bristol, Leeds, London, Manchester and in the North East and South Wales. There are also many groups who work alongside the No Borders network such as Close Campsfield Campaign in Oxford, Defy-ID in Nottingham, and the Unity Centre in Glasgow. Many other people share the political analysis of No Borders and work with the network on specific actions. There are similar networks and groups around the world, e.g. Frassanito Network; – Italy; All Included – The Netherlands;REDI (Network for Immigrants Rights) – Spain; Network for Social Support to Immigrants and Refugees – Greece; Fels (Für eine linke Strömung) – Berlin; CADI – Italy; AFVMC – Douala/Cameroon;
No Borders - A transnational network of autonomous groups advocating freedom of movement and equality for all. Working in solidarity with migrants to take action against deportation, detention and other aspects of social control on a non-hierarchical, anti-authoritarian basis, using consensus decision making to imagine a world without borders, capitalism or the state.
O
Off-Shore Border Control - More and more, EU countries are trying to extend their control of who enters by creating border controls outside of what they define as 'their' territory. These ‘external’ or ‘off-shore’ border controls include visas for entry, fines on airlines for carrying people, intercepting boats in international waters and departure ports, storing and sharing biometric data on people travelling, and agreements with governments of countries people migrate from or through. One effect of these extended border controls is that people have to take more and more dangerous routes to migrate. [See also: European Neighbourhood Policy, Fortress Europe]
Open Borders Policy - When the State does not restrict people from travelling or residing anywhere they are entitled to travel or reside. It is sometimes assumed that the No Borders network campaigns for an Open Borders policy. However, No Borders is based on much more far-reaching political and social changes than that. An Open Borders policy still assumes the existence of states, nations and therefore borders (albeit without immigration controls). The No Borders position is not possible within this framework.
Optimum Population Trust - The OPT is an environmental (eco-nationalist) pressure group lobbying for population control and reduction. It has a list of high-profile patrons such as Jonathan Porritt. Amongst its policy suggestions is an end to immigration.
'Overpopulation' - Environmental arguments are increasingly used to curtail freedom of movement. This includes the argument that Britain (or the planet) is full; i.e. has reached unsustainable levels of population growth. What is presented as a scientific fact is actually rooted in a reactionary political view that has historically been used to defend those who benefit from the status quo against the perceived 'threat' of the poor, Jews, or immigrants. Advocates of population control thus argue that there should be a cap on (or reduction of) the population level in a particular place/country and that this is best done by stopping immigration.
P
Prison Industrial Complex - "The prison industrial complex (PIC) is a complicated system situated at the intersection of governmental and private interests that uses prisons as a solution to social, political, and economic problems." [[Critical Resistance][11] definition] Prisons and Detention Centres are both hugely expensive and at the same time very profitable. Both have therefore been a major target for privatisation and, as most of the immigration detention estate in the UK is run by the same private companies that operate private prisons worldwide, they are by definition part of the PIC.
Profiteers - Those companies that seek to make profit at the expense of the freedom of others. [see: G4S, GEO, Kalyx, Angel Group, BMI, XL Airlines, etc.]
Points-Based System - In February 2008, a new ‘points-based’ system came into force, replacing the numerous schemes that had been introduced piecemeal to cope with constantly changing economic and political conditions. Non-EU migrants are now allocated points depending on their ‘benefit to the UK’, and have to fit into one of five tiers that determine rights during their stay. The more ‘skilled’ a person is, the easier it is for them to gain admission. In government language, the British economy can gain from their skills. The less ‘skilled’ a person is, the more difficult it is for them to gain admission and the greater the degree of control over them after their admission. The majority of people in the world are excluded from these tiers altogether. The points-based system further reduces migration policy to a one-way street of ‘benefit to the UK economy’. [see also: Migration Management, Economic Migrant] [12]
Q
Queers Without Borders - Network of queer activists of all genders and sexualities who undertake and support actions against the border regime. Queers without Borders activists highlight and reject the borders imposed between sexualities, between genders, the borders that prevent us defining our own ways of living. In a society which always attempts to strengthen the position of institutionalised power by making someone 'other' (whether this be by race/sexuality/gender or any other means), Queers Without Borders is part of a wider network which refuses to accept this present condition of nations and borders, of a containment of people behind false boundaries that only serve to profit those who hold power.
R
RABIT - Rapid Border Intervention Teams. Effectively the paramilitary wing of Frontex. Special rapid response teams established in 2007 by the European Parliament, to give "technical and operational assistance in the case of major influxes of illegal migrants over the external borders of any EU Member State". [see also: Frontex] [13]
Racism - A modern ideology that believes human beings can be categorised and separated into inherently different, but internally cohesive, groups based on genetic and ethnic background. In most cases this leads to prejudice, discrimination, oppression and violence, as racists assume the superiority of their own race.
Racialism - This is a term we will be confronted with more frequently as the BNP is putting on a friendlier face and is trying to find a disguise for its racism. It refers to the position that races exist and that there are essential differences between them. It does not assume the superiority of one race over others, but asserts that the different characteristics of races should be recognised.
Reporting - Most people applying for asylum have to ‘report’ at either police stations or Home Office Reporting Centres. People often get snatched when they go to report. The Unity Centre in Glasgow has helped stop the disappearance, detention or deportation of hundreds of people by supporting people going to sign, and working for their release if they are detained. In other cities No Borders groups accompany people going to report, and many pickets have been held at Reporting Centres and police stations.
Resistance - In the Sighthill Estate area of Glasgow, the local community got together to fight against dawn raids by immigration snatch squads, coming out onto the street when immigration vans arrived, and successfully stopping many attempted snatches of families. This is just one inspiring example of self-organisation, solidarity and resistance. [see also: Unity Centre]
S
Safe Country - A country which the Home Office regards as a place where persecution does not happen. If a person seeking asylum is from one of the countries on this list, their claim will usually be refused straight away, and they will not be allowed to stay in the UK to appeal against the decision.
Safe Third Country – A country where it is thought that someone seeking asylum could have received protection. If someone travelled through a 'safe third country' on their way to the country in which they seek asylum, they can be sent back to that country. EU countries aim to create a ‘buffer zone’ against asylum immigration by declaring the ring of countries around the EU ‘safe', despite conditions in many of them making them unsafe. This is in violation not just of the higher principle of freedom of movement, but of the commitments of EU countries to the Geneva Convention which grants people the right to apply for asylum in any country that has signed it. [see also: European Neighbourhood Policy]
Sangatte - A refugee centre opened by the Red Cross in 1999, at the request of the French government, to assist the 100s of migrants sleeping rough in and around Calais as they waited to cross the Channel to the UK. Became the source of huge conflict between the French and UK governments but, when it closed in 2002, it marked a significant turning point in EU, and particularly UK, immigration policy towards much more repressive regimes. One major consequence was the creation of UK run 'control zones' in the Calais, Boulogne and Dunkerque port areas, effectively externalising the UK border to French soil.
Sans-Papiers - 'Undocumented' workers. The Francophone term for immigrants without valid residence or work permits or identification. Used by many instead of the more politically loaded term 'illegal immigrant'
Schengen Agreements - The 1985 Schengen Agreement was the first of many agreements between European states to work together on border controls. The agreements relate to travel between EU member states (generally unrestricted for EU nationals, but restricted for people from outside of the EU), control of external EU borders, information sharing and sanctions on ships and planes carrying undocumented people. [see also: Dublin II Regulation]
Schengen Information System (SIS) - The central database that tracks migrants, refugees, travellers, asylum seekers and others who come to Europe. It is used by EU member states to record millions of bits of information on people and other items of interest to customs and immigration authorities and police. The functions and members of this information sharing system are being increased with the development of SIS II. SIS has a central office in Strasbourg, which was the subject of an international No Border action camp of 2000 people in 2002.
Section 4 - Minimal support to some destitute people whose asylum claims have been rejected but who are unable to return to their country of origin. Often given months late, Section 4 support is conditional - people must meet certain conditions in order to qualify, including agreeing to a 'voluntary' return [see also: 'Voluntary' Return, Asylum Seeker, Destitution].
Security ‘Security’ is the latest government buzzword used to create a climate of fear and to justify increasing measures of control. This can be seen visibly at the frontiers of ‘Fortress Europe’, where border controls have been fortified, but also happens in less visible ways. Surveillance and control within the EU is steadily increasing, for example through cross-border information sharing between police and intelligence services, and 'harmonising' national legislation, such as on the keeping and sharing of telecommunication and internet data records. Whether migrant or non-migrant, these measures affect us all. [14]
Short Term Holding Facility (STHF)- Secure rooms attached to ports, airports or Immigration Reporting Centres used to hold people detained there, snatched in raids [see Snatch Squads], or who are being transferred between detention centres or deported. 'Short term' can be up to 7 days. In the UK, there are 25 non-residential STHFs run by G4S, and 4 residential STHFs. G4S also run STHFs in French ports, on contract from the UK Borders Agency [see also: Calais, Off-Shore Border Controls]. Inspection reports by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for STHFs in the UK, Coquelles and Calais describe various "systemic deficiencies" and "completely inadequate" conditions. Police stations are also classed as STHFs. [15] [16] [17] [18]
Solidarity - A bond of unity between individuals, united around a common goal or against a common enemy, usually expressed through material and/or psychological support, and without the desire for recompense.
Snatch Squads - One area of work that the No Borders network have tried to highlight are the snatch squads that operate to take people from their homes and into detention, to be deported. These dawn raids often target families, to take them all at once before they go to work or school. Several blockades of UKBA buildings have prevented vans leaving to go and snatch people [see also: Resistance, UKBA, Local Immigration Teams].
States - Artificial political entities or federations (in the loosest sense of the word) based around a centrally organised government in a specific territorial area bounded by 'national' borders. Often used interchangeably with the term 'nation state', an even more artificial term based around the supposed common identification of a 'people' by some common historical/cultural/psychological affectation. [see also: Nationalism]
T
Tour of Shame - No Borders groups have conducted 'tours of asylum shame' visiting the institutions, companies and government offices involved the appalling treatment, destitution, detention and deportation of asylum seekers and dispelling the myths pedalled in the media about housing, employment and other issues. Tours have highlighted key issues, such as how UK trade and foreign policies create thousands of asylum seekers ever year.
U
UK Border Agency (UKBA) – part of the Home Office, the UKBA is responsible for things relating to border and immigration control like border checks, eBorders, issuing visas, the asylum process, the points-based system, detention centres, biometric ID cards, and hunting down and forcibly removing people from the UK. Established in April 2008, it combines the functions of the Border and Immigration Agency, UK visa service, and some parts of HM Revenue and Customs. There are several regional offices, many of which have been the site of protests by No Borders and other groups [see also: Local Immigration Teams].
Undocumented - migrants who don't fit into one of the state-authorised channels of migration, including people who have had their asylum claims turned down, people who have overstayed a tourist or student visa, people who have arrived 'unofficially' etc. Also known as 'irregular' migration, hence the term 'regularisation', meaning 'to make regular'. Undocumented migrants are denied citizenship rights, and live in precarious situations. Government rhetoric speaks of 'cracking down' on undocumented migrants, while at the same time the UK economy relies on this supply of cheap, exploitable labour. [see also: Sans-Papiers, Categorization]
V
Voucher Scheme - Designed to remove asylum seekers from the cash economy, the voucher scheme gave people support only in the form of vouchers. This was stigmatising, dehumanising, and meant people couldn't choose what or where to buy. Withdrawn after massive protests!
‘Voluntary’ Return - (or Assisted Voluntary Return). Usually voluntary only in the sense that the alternative is forced return (without the financial bribe/assistance). [see also: IOM]
W
Woolas, Phil - Border and Immigration minister (2008 to present), former Environment minister, Labour MP for Oldham and Saddleworth. Upon his appointment as Immigration minister he loudly proclaimed 'It's been too easy to get into this country in the past and its going to get harder'. Since then he has been one of the most controversial ministers in the Brown government, suggesting a cap on Britain's population, that immigration lawyers are a lobby group abusing the system, and that the Geneva Convention protecting the right to seek asylum should be altered, amongst many other 'gaffes'. In October 2008, Woolas had a custard pie pushed in his face by people from Manchester No Borders for his 'eco-nationalist' remarks on overpopulation.
Worker solidarity - Migration controls are a weapon against the whole work force. Used to divide and rule, this legislation creates conditions where there are some workers with less or no rights, so people are less able to organise at work, allowing employers to further downgrade working conditions for all. Worker solidarity is in the interests of all workers! No Borders groups have joined with migrant workers organising against exploitation, for example at noise demos and pickets in solidarity with cleaners sacked by Amey Plc [see also: Justice for Cleaners].
X
Xenophobia - A pathological fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners.
XL Airways - Undertaking deportation charter flights poses a reputational risk for some commercial airlines. In 2007, XL Airways withdrew from a £1.5m contract with the Home Office following a number of protests highlighting the airline's involvement in forced deportations to DR Congo. Despite this, other airlines insist that they are legally bound to carry deportees. Unrelated to this, XL went bust in 2008 [see also: Deportation].
Y
Yarl's Wood - A detention centre near Bedford currently run by private company Serco, which holds women, children and family groups. Yarl's Wood was half destroyed by fire in 2002, following an uprising ignited by the ill-treatment of a sick woman by guards. Detainees and staff were left locked all night in the burning building! Fires, riots and hunger-strikes in protest at appalling treatment and conditions are such a common occurrence in the 11 detention centres operating in the UK that it would be impossible to document them all. Many subsequent protests have highlighted racism and violence from guards, obstruction of asylum claims, attempts to isolate people from outside support and targeting of so-called ringleaders.
Z
Zero Tolerance - Policy involving vicious state clampdowns on undocumented migrants. ‘Illegal’ immigration is, by definition, a product of the laws made to control migration. A common phrase heard in No Borders movements is ‘no one is illegal!’