NUS conference adopts policy against deportations and deportations

10 April 2005
 
The National Union of Students has passed a conference resolution declaring its support for students facing deportation and resolving to lobby the government on behalf of any student facing deportation or detention.

The resolution reads:

1. Student asylum seekers increasingly face deportation to their original country, having previously been granted exceptional leave to remain including recently Andrei Bazanov at Bournemouth and Azim Ansari an undergraduate at St John’s College, Oxford.
2. Many students in this situation have to terminate their degree and are sent into situations of grave danger where they have no contact and their lives are at risk.
3. Students should be able to finish their degree without fear of
   deportation.
4. A government ‘clampdown’ on so-called ‘bogus international students’ has meant students are increasingly targeted by immigration officers. Bradford student Victor Ruttoh was held for a month in an immigration detention centre, suffered injury, then removed to Kenya after unintentionally working 2.5 hours per week more than allowed over summer, following unclear information.
5. Attacks on asylum and immigration rights by the media and politicians are fuelling racism.  Recent measures include holding young asylum seekers in detention centres and reducing appeal rights.
6. Anti-asylum rhetoric affects students: a recent survey showed graduates in favour of reducing immigration increased from 33% to 56% in the past 8 years.
7. A climate of increased racism has led to a rise in racist attacks and murders, such as that of Kalan Karim, an asylum seeker in Swansea in September.
8. In recent years, hostility towards asylum seekers and migrants has been whipped up by politicians and sections of the media, aiding the growth of racism and the far-right.
9. Going into the general election, NUS should defend asylum rights, including the 1951 Geneva Convention, taking a stand against politicians pandering to racism.
10. Many lies are told about asylum seekers – one of society’s most vulnerable groups, many of whom have fled war and persecution.
11. Contrary to tabloid myths, 80% of the 12 million refugees worldwide live in less developed countries.
12. Britain ranks 9th among EU countries on numbers of asylum seekers as a proportion of the population.
13. Recent years have seen increasingly harsh UK asylum legislation attacking some of the most vulnerable people in society including: restrictions on financial support – creating widespread destitution for asylum seekers; bans on right to work – forcing people into unregulated work; imprisoning those arriving without correct documents, including children, a practice condemned by the UN.  Many asylum seekers participate in education to rebuild their lives.

Conference further believes:

1. The people applying for asylum should be treated with compassion as human beings, not as numbers in a quota.
2. That arbitrary detention, with no time limits and/or reason given for imprisonment (as is the current practice) is not treating people with compassion.
3. That deportation also contravenes basic human dignity and both detention and deportation of asylum seekers should be stopped immediately.

Conference resolves:

1. To support Azim, and other student asylum seekers facing deportation.
2. To lobby the government on behalf of all students facing deportation/ in immigration detention.
3. Work with National Assembly Against Racism and Refugee Council to defend asylum rights and for Britain to remain a Geneva Convention signatory.
4. Circulate SAAR’s ‘myths on asylum’ briefing.