Campaigners and activists gather in Parliament Square to hold a ‘Tent City’ in protest at the British Governments continued programme of deportation of people of Iraqi nationality.

As a result of the invasion and forced occupation of Iraq, many of its citizens have either been killed, fled their homes or been displaced into refugee status. Many have found their way to the EU and UK and claimed asylum status and have asked to stay here. The British government, nevertheless, continue to deport them back to their country of origin and in many cases to a life of chaos and fear.

According to UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) around 4.7 million Iraqis have left their homes since the US/UK led invasion of 2003, and over 2 million have fled out of the country to neighbouring states. In 2006, Iraqis became the leading nationality seeking asylum in Europe.

The Tent-City assembles ‘illegally’ in Parliament Square and does so on the basis that it has not asked Metropolitan Police Authorities for permission under the terms of SOCPA (Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005). Despite this, they still receive permission to assemble from the police despite the fact that no application has been made.

Terence Bunch
e-mail: terry.bunch@terencebunch.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.terencebunch.co.uk/stop-iraqi-deportations-tent-city-21-06-2008.php