Home Office deportations show us racism isn’t just an American problem

To the surprise of many, a US police officer was convicted for killing a Black man this week. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the 2020 murder of George Floyd. The killing sparked protests against police violence and structural racism across the world.
The conviction has informed a typically British debate about how structural racism is a peculiarly American problem, and not at all the kind of thing that we Brits do. Chauvin’s conviction coinciding with the anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s racist murder, however, tells a different story.
Today is Stephen Lawrence day. Stephen was our George Floyd. His death and the work done by his mother and family changed our country forever. I salute Stephen. I salute the warriors like Baroness Lawrence that made his name synonymous with the battle for equality and justice.
— Kwame Kwei-Armah (@kwamekweiarmah) April 22, 2021
Home Office
Moreover, Priti Patel’s Home Office has been busy proving that structural racism is very much a British thing, by deporting people in its usual bumbling style and/or getting sued.
Read on...
It was reported on Thursday 22 April that the department had broken its own guidelines. This was in a case involving Vietnamese migrants. Of a group of 14 enforced removals flown out of Birmingham on Wednesday, six weren’t held in an immigration removal centre for five days prior to deportation as the current rules require. The five-day rule is to allow access to legal advice in the late stages of removal.
The Home Office denies the allegations. Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said:
We understand from the government’s lawyers that at least six people expelled on yesterday’s flight to Vietnam were taken in direct breach of the Home Office’s own removal policy intended to ensure proper access to legal advice. If correct, this is a breach of the rule of law, may have put lives at risk and must be urgently reversed. The home secretary has serious questions to answer – in court if necessary.
Death in custody
It’s also been reported that an Angolan woman is suing the Home Office. She claims that staff refused to call an ambulance to her immigration accommodation despite her being 35 weeks pregnant and bleeding at the time.
She recounted the events:
The man at reception kept saying I had to call for help myself, that they couldn’t do it, but I couldn’t talk because I was in too much pain …
He was shouting at me, saying I was bleeding on their chair. I didn’t know what to do and I felt like nobody was listening … I was terrified. The connection I had felt to my baby was so strong, and I felt like it was disappearing.
The woman, anonymised as Adna in the report, said a fellow resident eventually called emergency services. She was taken to Croydon hospital and was later told that her baby had died.
The Guardian reports her lawyers are bring a claim for:
negligence leading to personal injury, psychiatric damage, distress and anxiety. They also claim discrimination and breach of human rights under the Equality Act.
They added that:
Our client has experienced a catalogue of mistreatment, all linked to her being a woman, pregnant and black.
Black Lives Matter
As we wait for #GeorgeFloydTrial verdict let’s also remember that in the UK, this Thursday, April 22nd, marks #StephenLawrenceDay.
We need to work harder than ever to action anti-racism across society and tackle institutional and systemic racism in Britain. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/L4u5uPCBKN— Shaista Aziz 💙 (@shaistaAziz) April 20, 2021
The above incidents reported this week, together with Stephen Lawrence Day, go to show that the UK is far from innocent when it comes to structural racism. Let’s not forget that as we discuss Chauvin’s conviction, remember George Floyd, and say ‘Black Lives Matter’.
Featured image via Flickr – 4WardEver UK/ YouTube – The Telegraph
We need your help to keep speaking the truth
Every story that you have come to us with; each injustice you have asked us to investigate; every campaign we have fought; each of your unheard voices we amplified; we do this for you. We are making a difference on your behalf.
Our fight is your fight. You’ve supported our collective struggle every time you gave us a like; and every time you shared our work across social media. Now we need you to support us with a monthly donation.
We have published nearly 2,000 articles and over 50 films in 2021. And we want to do this and more in 2022 but we don’t have enough money to go on at this pace. So, if you value our work and want us to continue then please join us and be part of The Canary family.
In return, you get:
* Advert free reading experience
* Quarterly group video call with the Editor-in-Chief
* Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
* 20% discount in our shop
Almost all of our spending goes to the people who make The Canary’s content. So your contribution directly supports our writers and enables us to continue to do what we do: speaking truth, powered by you. We have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence our vital opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right-wing mainstream media.
With your help we can continue:
* Holding political and state power to account
* Advocating for the people the system marginalises
* Being a media outlet that upholds the highest standards
* Campaigning on the issues others won’t
* Putting your lives central to everything we do
We are a drop of truth in an ocean of deceit. But we can’t do this without your support. So please, can you help us continue the fight?
-
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.