If we in Australia do not respond to this and UK succeeds in this deportation-it is a green light to all governments including our own to continue treating asylum seekers as subhuman and conduct deportations in this manner with impunity.
One of the asylum seekers scheduled on flight is asylum seeker Isa Muaza. You may recall that he was on a hunger strike and had gone down to 50 kgs and was put on a flight to Nigeria a few weeks ago and miraculously the flight sent back to the UK with estimated cost of attempted deportation reported to be more than $100?000?: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=680425485330927&id=231684710205009
It is therefore shocking that they are attempting to deport him once again due to sheer bloody-mindedness. Furthermore, on this flight, there is another Nigerian asylum seeker who requires dialysis. Details here: http://unitycentreglasgow.org/?page_id=914
Right now in Nigeria there is an increase in violent activities by an extreme group of militants called Boko Haram. Since a state of emergency declared in May 2013, the UN has reported that 1,200 people have been killed by this group (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25407126). The double standards of western governments is apparent when one takes into consideration that the US has declared this group as a ?terrorist organisation? yet those claiming asylum due to fear of being killed by this group are being rejected.
Once OECD countries who have signed the UN refugee convention are allowed to commit these atrocities, it sends signals to other countries such as Australia that these actions are acceptable. In fact Australia has already been involved with Mass deportations of Nigerian asylum seekers. Last year a group of Nigerian asylum seekers in Maribyrnong detention centre in Melbourne were snatched from their room and deported without any fore-warning.
Please take action by
1. Contacting the UK Home affairs (immigration) Minister and Nigerian embassy in London: http://unitycentreglasgow.org/?page_id=914
2. Contacting the British Embassy in Canberra (or your respective countries):
High Commissioner: His Excellency Paul Madden CMG
Email:canberra.enquiries@fconet.fco.gov.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukinaustralia
Twitter: @ukinaustralia