Who We Are

The Bristol Defend the Asylum Seekers Campaign was set up to counter the abuse currently being aimed at asylum seekers by politicians and sections of the press. The most vunerable group of people, fleeing persecution, oppression and war are being falsely blamed for all the ills of British society. Racist sentiment is inflamed when terms such as "floods" and "swamping" are used to describe the relatively small numbers of asylum seekers arriving here. The New Labour Government says that it wants to combat racism yet its attacks on asylum seekers- such as the forced dispersal of refugees and detention - are encouraging racism. We believe that asylum seekers deserve our compassion and help. They do not deserve to be vilified and treated as criminals.

We are affiliated to the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers, which campaigns nationally for:

The right to work for asylum seekers
Income support for asylum seekers
Abolition of detention centres
No forced dispersal
Full legal rights and representation
No to deportation
The scrapping of the Asylum and Immigration Act

 

We would welcome your support as an individual and that of your group, organisation or trade union body. Please affiliate to the campaign. To affiliate:

Nina Franklin- Bristol National Union of Teachers and National Executive member

Paulette North- Bristol NUT Assistant Divisional Secretary

Mike Meacham- AEEU Convenor Rolls-Royce

Colin Thomas- film producer and member of broadcasting union BECTU

Minoo Jalali- asylum rights campaigner and UNISON member

Ricardo Casagran- Chilean cultural workshop

Peter Courtier- Director Bristol Racial Equality Council

David Onamade- Chairperson Bristol Racial Equality Council

Bristol Asylum Project

Roger James- OxfamSouthwest