Stop these deportations


SATURDAY 2 April will see a massive demonstration in Manchester
opposing the deportation of refugees facing persecution.
Mansoor Hassan, an investigative journalist from Pakistan now
seeking asylum in Britain, has been to the fore in building this
demonstration. Mansoor explained to the socialist why he is seeking
asylum:

"I COME from a farmer family and my investigative journalism
started with writing about companies, linked to high-ranking officials
and politicians, [who were] selling adulterated pesticides to farmers. I
then started writing about other issues such as honour killings – the
many cases of young girls being killed, forced marriages and domestic
violence – and also how drug trafficking trapped local youths.

"The people involved in things like adulteration of pesticides
and honour killings are very powerful, with links to the police. Very
low-paid Pakistani police depend on these politicians and are given
money as a bribe.

"I wrote about these things. As a result, they torched my home,
they tried to kill me and my son and my wife. I am a journalist, I can
live with this. But my family have nothing to do with this. They want
safety. This is why we fled to Britain."

The Socialist Party has been arguing for a united, mass movement to
defend the rights of all working class people, including asylum-seekers
– for decent wages, working conditions, and public services. A mass
movement of campaigns like Mansoor Hassan’s campaign, together with the
trade unions and community organisations, could win real improvements
for poor people of all backgrounds. We asked Mansoor what he thought of
this:

"People have been struggling for centuries against wrong
decisions and oppression. These movements were only successful when
there was a revolution and when it was possible to maintain the gains of
such a revolution. As far as Manchester and the UK are concerned, we
need to continue our struggle. Asylum seekers and refugees… should
join together and fight together."

Demo details

Saturday 2 April Assemble 12.30pm

Whitworth Park, Oxford Road, Manchester


Ireland: Elukanlo Olakunle wins return

Campaigners are cele-brating the return of Elukanlo Olakunle after
the Irish authorities had forceably deported him to Lagos, Nigeria.

On 15 March the 19-year old student, still wearing his school
uniform, was deported from Dublin along with 24 adults and nine
children.

He was dumped in the Nigerian city of Lagos, where he has no family,
and without money or ID papers. Elukanlo was then arrested and jailed by
Nigerian authorities. In jail, he was attacked by thugs.

However, Joe Higgins, Socialist Party TD (MP), was alerted to
Elukanlo Olakunle’s ordeal by his fellow students at Palmerstown
Community College in Dublin, who organised student protests over the
deportation.

Joe Higgins and the Democratic Socialist Movement in Nigeria (the
Socialist Party’s counterpart) helped Elukanlo to survive in Lagos and
continued campaigning for his return to live and study in Ireland. (He
is due to sit exams in June.)

Irish justice minister Michael McDowell has granted Elukanlo a
six-month visa but insists the case has set no precedent.

Statement

FOLLOWING THE Irish Justice Minister’s decision to allow him back
into Ireland, Elukanlo Olukunle issued this statement in Lagos on 24
March.

MAY I thank all my friends and school mates in Palmerstown Community
School in Dublin who have been protesting and picketing over my unjust
deportation to Nigeria by the Irish government.

I also thank Socialist Party members, especially Joe Higgins TD [MP],
for their solidarity and support since my unjust deportation. Joe
contacted members of Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), an affiliate
of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) in Nigeria, to
secure me accommodation and oversee my upkeep.

These protests from my friends and solidarity by the Socialist Party
have contributed immensely to force the Irish government’s review of
this injustice and recall me. I shall forever be grateful for this.

However, I want to appeal to my friends and school mates and
Socialist Party to prevail on the Irish government to review the cases
of other victims of this similar injustice, especially the two pregnant
women deported with me. I also appeal to the Irish government to
positively review its immigration policies.

I shall be addressing a press conference in Lagos on 25 March over my
ordeal and that of others in my category with a view to fight for more
humane immigration laws internationally.

Thank you all,

Elukanlo Olukunle