Friday 25 October 2013

Immigration Bill: A divisive bill that will lead to a divided Britain.

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Twitter @NoXenophobia 

Thank you for those of you who made it to the Movement Against Xenophobia launch at the House of Commons and Stop The Immigration Bill protest held on Tuesday 22nd October. In seven days we have secured the support of over 65 organisations to our founding statement and as each day goes by more people and organisations are siginng up. So from all at MAX its a very b:og thanks you for all of you who helped spread the word. 


Both our Parliamentary launch and lobby was a fantastic success. 
Both were organised within seven days and yet we were able to attract around 150 people to attend Parliament and lobby their MP's.

At the lobby speakers such as Habib Rahman Chief Executive of Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants,  Unite Political Director Jennie Formby, Cllr Lester Holloway from the Lib Democrats  Jeremy Corbyn MP in addition to campaigning groups such as Southall Black Sisters and Movement for Justice

All gave powerful and moving testimony of the real danger of promoting racism, irreparably damaging community relations and the real threat to human rights legislation should this bill go through.


In the afternoon MAX joined the London Chinatown Chinese Association & Min Quan and The Monitoring Group in a demonstration in London's China Town that saw every single Chinese restaurant close down for two hours in protest at the heavy handed and repeated targeting of their businesses by UKBA deportation squads. This is an issue that is affecting every single black and ethnic minority business as UKBA under orders from Theresa May unfairly targets these businesses whether that’s in China Town, Bangla Town, Brixton or Brent the story is the same.

Black and ethnic minority business are being unfairly targeted by an aggressive and sometimes racist UKBA. The point was not lost on those in attendance that whilst Britain was Chinese investment it remains hostile to Chinese people. 

Please see below for some critical information on the Bill’s progress and action we need you to take immediately . 

We really rely on you now to help us get the message out as the Tories are seeking to rush the bill through Parliament in record time in the hope that any opposition will be ill prepared and disorganised.  

We believe the bill will lead to a divided Britain and further demonise hard working immigrant families and any one else assumed to be a foreign national.  If this bill becomes law as is,  then all our communities will be forced to demonstrate their right to be in the UK on a daily basis whenever we want to rent a flat, access health care or open a bank account. 

In essence doctors, landlords, banks are all to become border guards for the UKBA. This will lead to widespread anger confusion. 

All trade unions must refuse to comply with what in essence a codification of racism into British immigration law. As such we must now make our opposition clear to the Tory , Lib Dems and Labour Parties that such a bill in a multicultural society like Britain is a recipe for disaster.  

Len McCluksky General secretary of Unite  stated categorically that Unite and its members will 

"... oppose Home Secretary Theresa May’s Immigration Bill every step of the way." 

He added " We do not spy on our friends and neighbours on behalf of the state"

What we need from Unite and other Trade unions is a motion agreeing that union members and public sector workers should refuse to carry out nationality checks on NHS patients and bank customers.

The landlords provisions in the bill are scandalous and herald a return to the days of the Colour Bar where Carribean Windrush and Irish immigrants in the 1960's were confronted with the signs;

 No Blacks No Dogs No Irish.

Disappointingly the Labour Party has already expressed it's in principle support, for this nasty divisive bill. This completely unacceptable and we will need to bring maximum pressure to bear on Ed Millband and Labour MP's in the next days and weeks. 

Time is now of the essence and outlined below are a range of actions that we need you to take immediately to ensure that the Tories do not simply stroll this bill through Parliament on the nod. 

1.     At the second reading of the Bill there were a total of eighteen votes against it three Lib Dems, seven Labour and eight from other parties.

2.     The next stage is the Committee Stage where the Bill is analysed line by line. This is normally 3 weeks or so after the 2nd reading. In this case the Government keen to avoid controversy  or organised opposition have decided that they will begin this process next Tuesday 29th Oct. This demonstrates that the Government is running sacred of proper informed debate on the bills provisions.

3.     The Committee will take oral expert evidence on Tuesday 29th Oct and half of Thursday 31st Oct. It will then begin examining the content of the Bill. See bottom of page for details on oral evidence and scrutiny timetable.

4.     Remember organisations  and individuals with an interest can provide written evidence to the Bill Committee.  We urge your organisation to do so by clicking on this link  Have your say on the Immigration Bill

5.     The Committee will complete its consideration of the Bill by Tuesday 19th Nov and then it will go to the Report stage where all MPs debate the provisions, suggest amendments and vote.

You can find the MP members of the Immigration Bill Committee here:

If members of your organisations are constituents of the MPs who are on the Bill Committee they should really be encouraged to write to them.

People still need to write to their MPs saying why they oppose the Bill. Please see MAX website for details and feel free to forward it on for template letters etc.

People  should also urge their MPs to attend the Report stage of the  Bill and vote against it. It will especially useful if constituents of the MPs on the Committee wrote to them in large numbers opposing the Bill.

Please help us and more importantly the wider community wake up to the reality of this deeply divisive bill that will we believe lead to a more divided Britain 

Regards

Lee Jasper
Movement Against Xenophobia.

COMMITTEE STAGE SCHEDULE

The meetings are open to the public.

Tuesday 29 October 8.55am and 2.00pm in the Boothroyd Room Portcullis House

c8.55am until no later than 9.45amProfessor J. Meirion Thomas, The Royal Marsden; and Jacqueline Bishop, Brighton and Sussex University Trust and co-chair of the Overseas Visitors Advisory Group, NHS
c9.45am until no later than 10.45amBritish Medical Association; Royal College of General Practitioners; and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
c10.45am until no later than 11.25amImmigration Law Practitioners’ Association; and MigrationWatch UK
c2.00pm until no later than 3.00pmNational Landlords Association; Residential Landlords Association; and UK Association of Lettings Agents
c3.00pm until no later than 3.30pmCrisis
c3.30pm until no later than 4.00pmUniversities UK

Thursday 31 October 11.30am and 2.00pm in the Boothroyd Room Portcullis House

c11.30am until no later than 12.00 pmJUSTICE
c12.00pm until no later than 12.30pmLiberty
c12.30pm until no later than 1.00pmJoint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
c2.00pm until no later than 2.45pmHome Office

Line by line scrutiny of the Bill (all in Committee Room 9, Palace of Westminster): 

Tuesday 5 November  8.55am and 2.00pm
Thursday 7 November 11.30am and 2.00pm
Tuesday 12 November 8.55am and 2.00pm
Tuesday 19 November 8.55am and 2.00pm