q_w_e_r_t_y
You see an investment scam and I see divinity
In the last two months the Unity Centre has recieved many phone calls from people in Dungavel detention centre desperate to find people in Glasgow who will provide bail addresses for them
Most of the callers have been young single men who were caught up in the media witch-hunt last year that followed the discovery that 1,000 asylum seekers who had criminal convictions had not been 'deported' by the Home Office.
Despite already serving time in prison for offences ranging from working without permission, attempting to leave the country on fake travel documents to getting into fights, these young men have been rounded up and dumped back in detention for the last six or seven months without any foreseeable release date.
Some were also caught up in the Harmondsworth detention centre riot in December and were brought to Dungavel as places in detention south of the border are in short supply.
All still have part of their claim for asylum outstanding and so cannot be deported - all have been removed from their friends, family and networks of supporters in England.
One man has been in detention for over two years - it's thought largely because the Home Office and private companies running the detention centres want to bury him for organising protests in detention. (He had church sponsorship to start a degree in January this year.)
Legally we think we can get many of these people out of detention. So serious is the plight of these men, many of whom are suffering deepening depression, that the Unity Centre has even received phone calls from guards at the detention centre worried about innocent individuals locked up without any foreseeable release date.
The big obstacle we have is a shortage of bail addresses. Before they can be released from Dungavel they need someone who can guarantee to the court somewhere for them to stay. Often the court also asks for a 'surety' to be paid but the amount for this varies - the last man we helped only had to pay £10 (ten pounds) In London people can often get asked to pay £10,000. Often the detainee has already lodged this money with the court.
It is simple really: If you have a spare room that someone can stay in - you can get someone out of detention. Most of us who are doing this already have found the experience profoundly positive depsite any difficulties.
Obviously it is slightly more complicated but I would urge anyone reading this to circulate this message amongst friends and family and if you are interested in providing this kind of real practical help to a refugee to get in touch with the Unity Centre so we can go through the procedure with you.
The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
theunitycentre [at] btconnect.com
Most of the callers have been young single men who were caught up in the media witch-hunt last year that followed the discovery that 1,000 asylum seekers who had criminal convictions had not been 'deported' by the Home Office.
Despite already serving time in prison for offences ranging from working without permission, attempting to leave the country on fake travel documents to getting into fights, these young men have been rounded up and dumped back in detention for the last six or seven months without any foreseeable release date.
Some were also caught up in the Harmondsworth detention centre riot in December and were brought to Dungavel as places in detention south of the border are in short supply.
All still have part of their claim for asylum outstanding and so cannot be deported - all have been removed from their friends, family and networks of supporters in England.
One man has been in detention for over two years - it's thought largely because the Home Office and private companies running the detention centres want to bury him for organising protests in detention. (He had church sponsorship to start a degree in January this year.)
Legally we think we can get many of these people out of detention. So serious is the plight of these men, many of whom are suffering deepening depression, that the Unity Centre has even received phone calls from guards at the detention centre worried about innocent individuals locked up without any foreseeable release date.
The big obstacle we have is a shortage of bail addresses. Before they can be released from Dungavel they need someone who can guarantee to the court somewhere for them to stay. Often the court also asks for a 'surety' to be paid but the amount for this varies - the last man we helped only had to pay £10 (ten pounds) In London people can often get asked to pay £10,000. Often the detainee has already lodged this money with the court.
It is simple really: If you have a spare room that someone can stay in - you can get someone out of detention. Most of us who are doing this already have found the experience profoundly positive depsite any difficulties.
Obviously it is slightly more complicated but I would urge anyone reading this to circulate this message amongst friends and family and if you are interested in providing this kind of real practical help to a refugee to get in touch with the Unity Centre so we can go through the procedure with you.
The UNITY Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow
G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992
theunitycentre [at] btconnect.com
