#PritiPlease #CloseTheCamps
In September last year, the Home Office began hastily adapting disused, pre-demolition military bases into camps to hold asylum seekers who had just crossed the English channel. As the UK’s Covid-19 infection rates soared to unprecedented levels, residents have been forced to sleep in communal blocks alongside strangers, with no opportunity to social distance or self-isolate, and no access to adequate healthcare. Last month, Napier barracks in Kent experienced a significant Covid-19 outbreak, with over 120 people inside testing positive.
Residents, local volunteers, charities and activists have all continued to speak out about the squalid and inhumane conditions inside: sustained electricity and heating outages; a lack of drinking water; blocked toilets; broken plumbing; and one shower being shared by up to 34 people are just some of the issues being highlighted. Fearing for their safety and unable to leave the camps, the residents – many who have fled violence, war and persecution – are also facing a worsening mental health crisis. Sadly there have been a number of suicide attempts.
The management of the barracks has been outsourced by the Home Office to the private firm Clearsprings Ready Homes, who have in turn subcontracted management to Nationwide Accommodation Services Ltd (NACCS). Despite their mismanagement of the accommodation and providing largely inedible food, Clearsprings Ready Homes is projected to make £1bn from their Home Office contracts over 10 years.
What you can do:
There is a lot of work already being done with some brilliant initiatives by activists that you can support. You can also join LGSM's rally on Feb 15th 2021 and take part in our online action.
1 - MAKE YOUR OWN SIGN AND POST IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Send a message to Priti Patel, the Home Office and Clearsprings with a selfie of a placard with a personalised message. Using the hashtags #PritiPlease #CloseTheCamps, messages should be sent to @ukhomeoffice & @PritiPatel along with #StandWithNapier
Message suggestions: It’s shameful that asylum seekers are locked in inhumane conditions, @PritiPatel & @ukhomeoffice close the camps #PritiPlease #CloseTheCamps #StandWithNapier
2 - Sign the petition
Sign and share the Freedom From Torture petition asking the home office to empty the barracks, close the camps, save lives: https://action.freedomfromtorture.org/close-the-barracks
Suggested tweet: I signed the @FreefromTorture petition to urge @pritipatel to empty the barracks, close the UK refugee camps and save lives. Sign it here: https://action.freedomfromtorture.org/close-the-barracks #StandWithNapier #CloseTheCamps
3 - Write to your MP
Detention Action has a template for people to write to their MP: https://detentionaction.e-activist.com/page/75524/action/1?locale=en-GB
Suggested tweet: I wrote to my MP [TAG YOUR MP] asking them to close the asylum seekers detention camps in Kent. Contact your MP using this @DetentionAction template: https://detentionaction.e-activist.com/page/75524/action/1 #StandWithNapier #CloseTheCamps
4 - Donate to the Fundraiser
Donate and share the Care4Calais fundraiser: https://www.goldengiving.com/fundraising/Napier-emergency-fundraising
Suggested tweet: I donated to the @Care4Calais fundraiser for the residents of Napier Barracks. Support them here: https://www.goldengiving.com/fundraising/Napier-emergency-fundraising #StandWithNapier #CloseTheCamps
5 - JOIN THE DAY OF ACTION AGAINST NACCS
Join Liverpool Migrant Solidarity Network’s day of action against NACCS. Find out all the information on how to make NACCS’s day miserable via https://www.facebook.com/events/229602955474737
More information:
Corporate Watch, Clearsprings: migrant camps profiteers, 04 Dec 2021
The Guardian, 'We felt like we were animals': asylum seekers describe life in UK barracks, 02 Feb 2021
The Independent, Home Office put refugees in barracks after fears better housing would ‘undermine confidence’ in system, 02 Feb 2021
The Guardian, Firm running asylum-seeker barracks in Kent stands to earn £1bn, 03 Feb 2021
The Guardian, Asylum seeker cannot remain at Kent army barracks, court says, 03 Feb 2021
The Guardian, Home Office ignored Covid advice not to put asylum seekers in barracks, 16 Feb 2021
ITV, Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration visits Napier Barracks, 17 Feb 2021