Welcome to Jack McConnell's Scotland

UPDATE ON ASYLUM SEEKERS AT GREENOCK PRISON Jack McConnell has called sectarianism 'Scotland's secret shame' but there are a few other things which spring to mind.

For a start here are 4 asylum seekers currently imprisoned at Greenock prison. Two have sewn up their lips in protest at being held alongside convicted prisons. For more info go to the Close Dungavel Now site here.

27 year old John Oguchuckwu was sent to Greenock prison indefinitely because he became suicidal after spending EIGHT months in Dungavel. Oguchuckwu's lawyers point out that he turned "whistleblower" following Mr Tung Wang's suicide in July 2004 and rang refugee support groups to let them know about the Vietnamese man's death. ( A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into
Wang's death). Just a few days later, Oguchuckwu was moved to Greenock.

Wang's suicide caused Oguchuckwu to spiral into depression and consider taking his own life. Oguchuckwu said: "I was told that I was moved because I was suicidal. I wasn't threatening or violent to any officers or other inmates. The Home Office is lying if it says that about me. "At the time I
was just so down that I actually was passing out. I was feeling very low. I was clinically depressed. At one point I didn't eat for two weeks. I was moved to Greenock three weeks ago. An officer in Greenock prison told me they'd taken me here because Dungavel couldn't do proper suicide watches."
Despite his mental state, Oguchuckwu says he was not put on suicide watch when he was transferred to Greenock. He is now in a shared cell and mixes with criminals, despite having never committed a crime. John Razik, a Christian Iraqi who was detained with Oguchuckwu in Dungavel, said: " He
never hurt anyone. Anyone who says he is violent is a liar. He should be free." Razik, who was persecuted in Iraq because of his faith, tried to kill himself "many, many times" while in Dungavel. He was only released from the detention centre two months ago. "I hurt myself because I was in detention
and I wanted to die," he said. Razik's arms are criss-crossed with cuts from suicide attempts. Razik, who plans to bring a case against Dungavel for unlawful imprisonment, also claims that he was beaten by immigration guards and accused of being violent.

Andre Aliev - a 29 year old Russian - and Vasil Gabbes - a Palestinian - were sent to Greenock Prison from Dungavel Removal Centre. Andre was sent to Greenock Prison two weeks ago when he became suicidal after spending NINETEEN months in detention. Andre Aliev's Glasgow lawyer Neil McArthur
said: "Mr Aliev is a sensitive and decent young man who tried to come to the UK for his own reasons. He has since felt the full force of immigration and has been in detention for 18 months."

MAIN CONCERNS:

ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE NOT CRIMINALS: None of these men have they been charged with any crime or sent to prison by the order of a Scottish court.

THEY SHOULD NOT BE IN A PRISON.

NO SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY: Dungavel 'Removal' Centre has in the past segregated asylum seekers at risk of suicide inside segregation rooms at Dungavel. Why are these not being used? Because they are full up or the authorities not cope with the repercussions of indefinite detention.
These men have been clearly psychologically damaged by the process of indefinite detention. They need psychiatric help.

LONG TERM DETENTION CREATES A SUICIDE CULTURE - The system of detention is creating people who become suicidal. The experience of immigration detention has difficulties beyond just deprivation of liberty. It is the uncertainty that most undermines the spirit: they do not know how long they might be detained; they do not know, and have reason to fear, the outcome. The system of indefinite detention is creating a suicide culture, which is resulting in people taking or attempting to take their own lives. Why are asylum seekers being detained indefinitely to the point of becoming
suicidal?

The Home Office claim that asylum seekers are held in detention for only a few days is FALSE. These cases highlight the extent to which innocent people claiming asylum in the UK are left to rot in a detention system for months on end.

DETENTION V. PRISON: The Home Office treats Greenock prison as just another extension of dungavel which makes a mockery of their argument that dungavel is not a prison.

PR STRATEGY: The Immigration Service does not want another suicide to draw attention to the fundamental abuse of human rights at Dungavel. They do not want the embarrassment of people finding out that refugees are being 'detained' for months and years inside the detention system.

ZERO STATUS AND INVISIBLE: The cases of John, Andre and Vasil show how powerless the individual is within the detention system. They have no family and have been ripped out of the communities where they settled before being institutionalised and criminalised by the detention system. The system
is neither accountable nor transparent nor open to public scrutiny. It is them against the system.

For more info: email: home@paih.org



URGENT APPEAL: WE ARE SEEKING BAIL ADDRESSES AND DONATIONS TOWARDS BAIL TO
HELP SECURE THE RELEASE OF JOHN OGUCHUCKWU AND ANDRE ALIEV. IF YOU CAN OFFER
EITHER JOHN OR ANDRE A PLACE TO STAY, THEN PLEASE, PLEASE EMAIL:
info@closedungavelnow.com