SOAS: No immigration raids on campus
While the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London was sponsoring Refugee Week in the UK, the management of this international university were hosting an immigration raid on campus. The hypocrisy was not lost on students who quickly occupied directorate offices in opposition to the arrest and detention of nine so called ‘illegal’ cleaning staff by border police. Student’s opposition and speedy action has already brought results. SOAS Principal Paul Webley was forced to make a request to the home secretary to grant all the cleaners leave to remain in the UK. So far, his demand has fallen on deaf ears, but SOAS chiefs may not be so quick to cooperate with the government’s anti-immigrant agenda in future.
Recommended links:
- Article by Patrick Hayes: Keep border police out of universities
- Free SOAS cleaners blog
- Manifesto Club’s Think Piece: A Humane Asylum Policy
Related topics: Social Change
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Adelahb said:
This film shows students protesting against cleaners being deported. they were immigrants who were working hard to support their families, paying rent, and paying taxes, yet they were treated so cruelly. I felt really proud of all the students and SOAS workers that stood together and protested against this injustice.
flintoff said:
This film covers and occupation and a demonstration of SOAS by students protesting against the deportation of some cleaning staff. It contains footage of the demonstration and includes interviews with participants, and suggests that in the future management at the university will be less keen to be quite so accommodating to the authorities on this issue.
zett said:
All the time, energy and money used to force people out…
I wonder, what would happen if that was used for things that actually have a point and are not dehumanizing?