Unlocked Archives - Page 6 of 32

Unlocking Detention shone a spotlight on the hidden world of immigration detention. This ‘virtual tour’ of the immigration detention estate used Twitter, Facebook and a website to ‘unlock’ the gates of immigration detention centres.

Each week, Unlocking Detention ‘visited’ one of the UK’s detention centres. We heard from people who had been detained there, volunteer visitors, NGOs, campaigners and the families, friends, neighbours and communities over whom detention cast its long shadows.

We started Unlocking Detention back in 2014 and it ran for 6 years. While we no longer run this campaign with its dedicated website, it has left a powerful legacy of the impact of immigration detention. We have archived the key information, and we are now proud to continue to make it accessible via our website.

Campsfield closing: A history of resistance

Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre opened 25 years ago this month. In this second part of a two-part blog, a campaigner from Campaign to Close Campsfield looks back at the local history of resistance. On 25 November 1993, the [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T12:13:18+00:00November 21st, 2018|

Looking back at #Unlocked15: “the involvement of experts-by-experience has always been one of the most meaningful parts of the project”

Unlocking Detention has been the result of so many different people's efforts. In this #Unlocked18 blog, Mishka and Red at Freed Voices (@FreedVoices) interview Lisa Matthews, Coordinator at Right to Remain, about her experience of co-running Unlocking Detention [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T12:14:05+00:00November 20th, 2018|

Campsfield closing: How did we get here, and what next?

Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre opened 25 years ago this month. In this first part of a two-part blog, a campaigner from Campaign to Close Campsfield looks back at its history and tries to make sense of the government’s [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T12:14:47+00:00November 19th, 2018|

Eight times in detention: Why?

This contribution is a collaboration between women detained in Yarl’s Wood detention centre and the Yarl’s Wood Befrienders. These words and images were produced at one of the weekly 'drop in' sessions held by Yarl's Wood Befrienders. Drop [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T13:15:46+00:00November 17th, 2018|

“Every day, they used to walk in and pick somebody”: Living with the uncertainty of detention and removal

Content warning: suicide and self-harm. This contribution comes from Bristol Free Voice, a citizen journalism project facilitating a safe platform for media for refugees and asylum seekers, to challenge the dehumanising narrative often seen in the mainstream media. [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T13:16:36+00:00November 16th, 2018|

Snow: Visiting in Yarl’s Wood

Image by Vee Travers, a volunteer with the Yarl's Wood Befrienders This piece is written by Ali Brumfitt about their experience visiting as a volunteer befriender for Yarl’s Wood Befrienders (YWB). Ali now works part time as volunteer [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T13:17:20+00:00November 15th, 2018|

“For me, Yarl’s Wood was another torture”

Content warning: rape, self-harm, suicide This piece comes from Gabby (not her real name), an activist campaigning against immigration detention in the UK. She was detained in Yarl’s Wood twice in 2017 before being released to continue her [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T13:17:58+00:00November 14th, 2018|

Week 3: Short-term holding facilities and prisons

Most weeks, Unlocking Detention visits a specific detention centre. Last week was a little different. From the 4th-11th November, Unlocking Detention focused on the hundreds of people held under immigration powers in short-term holding facilities and prisons across [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T13:18:40+00:00November 13th, 2018|

Resisting state violence: The Yarl’s Wood hunger strike

This blog comes from Fidelis Chebe, Project Director at Migrant Action. Migrant Action is a small organisation based in Leeds providing information, guidance, advocacy support and direct practical assistance to migrants who do not fit into ‘neat’ categories [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T13:20:25+00:00November 13th, 2018|

Theresa: Letter from a hunger-striker

Content warning: suicide. Image by @Carcazan This letter was sent to the Duncan Lewis Public Law team by Theresa (not her real name), a young mother, from Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. It was originally published by No Walls. Theresa [...]

Unlocked2022-10-05T13:21:09+00:00November 12th, 2018|