Over one hundred socialists, trade unionists and anti-deporation activists attended the No One is Illegal trade union conference in Liverpool on 31 March. The day was spent discussing the politics of the fight against immigration controls and for migrant and refugee rights. This discussion — which was on the day was thoughtful, thorough and comradely — is vitally necessary as these issues are centrally important to the future of the labour movement. It would be a great step forward if a strong left-wing in the anti-deportation/asylum/migrant rights movement could be established.
Two issues are key. First the way many workers — social workers, teachers, health workers — are being asked to police immigration controls, to report on and “turn in” refugees without legal status. How can we build a movement of non-compliance? Which union will be willing to take up the fight?
Secondly whether and how unions will organise migrant workers.
The conference discussed these issues and also the limitations of the current campaign around “amnesty” for some migrant workers which is being backed, among others by church groups.
No One Is Illegal has sympathetic groups in some UK cities. While the AWL wouldn’t support every dot and comma of the network’s tactical approach, we broadly agree with its policy; the fact that they have managed to establish an “broad church”, socialistic campaign is very heartening. Follow up organisational work is planned.
Protest against racist “think tank”
Watch out Manchester, David Coleman is coming to speak in your city. Coleman, who somehow managed to score a position as Professor of Demography at the University of Oxford, also moonlights as a public spokesman of Migration Watch UK. Coleman is also a member — and former office holder — of the Galton Institute, which is actually a rebadged Eugenics Society. Coleman is speaking at a conference on “Segregation or Integration” at the University of Manchester on 17 May.
No One Is Illegal is hosting a meeting to organise against Coleman on Monday 16 April at 7.30pm, at the Friends Meeting House on Mount Street in Manchester.