Open letter to Meg Hillier MP

Hackney Refugee & Migrant Support Group has sent this letter to Meg Hillier MP regarding her stance on the recent hunger strike by women asylum seekers held at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Detention Centre.

3 April 2010

Meg Hillier MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Dear Meg Hillier MP

Hunger Strike at Yarl’s Wood

At our meeting earlier this week it was agreed that we should write to you to express our concern at the stance you took on the recent hunger strikes undertaken by women held at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Detention Centre.

We understand that 34 women detainees held at Yarl’s Wood took part in hunger strikes in February and March to draw attention to their plight and to demand an improvement in their conditions.

Among the women’s demands were: a full investigation into the events following their protests in February; an end to the detention of children and their mothers, and of victims of rape and torture; access to proper medical care, edible food and interpreters; and detention only as a last resort. These all seem very reasonable to us.

We understand that the Children’s Commissioner for England has been so concerned about conditions at Yarl’s Wood that he has made repeated visits and noted in his report that “arrest and detention are inherently damaging to children and Yarl’s Wood is no place for a child”.

We were saddened that you responded to these events by denying the reality of the hunger strike and defending the government’s shameful policy of locking up mothers and children.

Statements that the detainees are themselves responsible for the length of their detention as they have appealed against their deportation orders and that their supporters are responsible for adding to detainees’ distress by publicising the way they are treated are simply risible and bring no credit to your office.

We hope that you will now work for a change in government policy to stop holding mothers and children or victims of rape or torture in detention centres.

We also hope that you will press for the release of any of the hunger strikers transferred to prison and support the calls for HM Inspector of Prisons to carry out an urgent investigation into the events at Yarl’s Wood, and for a moratorium on all deportations of the women who took part in the hunger strike pending the results of that investigation.

We are releasing this letter to local media.

Dot Lewis
Rayah Feldman
Ruth Grove-White
John Stewart
Rosemary Sales
Maria Cristina Westphal
Jamie Wildman
On behalf of Hackney Refugee & Migrant Support Group
c/o Hackney Community Law Centre, 8 Lower Clapton Road London E5 0PD