Jean Lambert, London’s Green MEP, has written to the Home Office after it emerged that six of the SOAS cleaners arrested on Friday 12 June were removed from the UK over the weekend.
Jean Lambert has asked the Home Office to clarify the procedures that immigration officers are expected to follow, after details of the detention and arrest of the staff emerged.
Those close to the situation have explained that cleaners were summoned at 6.30am on Friday to attend what they were told was an "emergency staff meeting". Instead, they found themselves in a closed space where over 40 immigration officers in full riot gear were waiting to arrest them. At the detention centre, they were denied access to legal or union representation and no interpreter was provided. Many of them, as native Spanish speakers, were unable to communicate. It is believed that immigration officers were called in by ISS, the cleaning contractor, even though it has employed many of these staff for years. It has emerged that six cleaners have been removed and others could face removal within days.
There are grave concerns about the health and wellbeing of those arrested:
– one of the cleaners is six months pregnant, and another is believed to have suffered a heart attack brought on by the ordeal. Many of their families are unaware of their whereabouts.
On Friday, Jean Lambert joined fellow Green Jenny Jones, member of the London Assembly, in condemning the raid at SOAS [1].
Last night, the London Federation of Green Parties passed an emergency motion in support of the workers.
Today, Jean Lambert said:
"This dawn raid was utterly deplorable – a sly, underhand action which seems to have been calculated to cause maximum intimidation and distress. The draconian scare tactics are all the more shameful now we learn of the particular vulnerability of some of those arrested."
"Such raids raise fundamental questions about the status of migrant workers and their right to dignified treatment which in this case was forcefully denied. We need to know why and how this particular sequence of events came about. That’s why I have written to the Home Office seeking clarification of the procedures immigration officers are supposed to follow. I will ask ISS and SOAS to clarify their role in this targeting of workers, many of whom have been employed by the contractor for years. It is also imperative that the families of those involved are told where their relatives are being held, and remain fully informed as to their welfare and status."
Jean also expressed solidarity with the students and activists currently occupying SOAS in protest at the treatment the staff received from immigration officers:
"It is heartening to see the display of support from students and activists at SOAS who are prepared to speak up for the rights of these workers and I support their campaign. We cannot allow this raid to leave other migrant workers in London too afraid to demand the basic employment and civil rights to which they are entitled. We must redouble our support for those, like these workers, who have campaigned for the rights of workers and the living wage across London.[2]"
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Notes to Editors
Jean Lambert is one of eight MEPs representing London and one of two UK Green representatives in the European Parliament. Jean was first elected in the 1999 European elections and was re-elected in 2004 and 2009.
[1] See: http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=477
[2] The workers who were arrested and detained on Friday had been active in the "Justice for Cleaners" campaign, also championed by student activists, to win the London Living Wage and trade union representation.
For updates on the situation at SOAS, visit: http://freesoascleaners.blogspot.com/
For more information please contact: Rosie Lavan, London Media Assistant, media-assistant@jeanlambertmep.org.uk, 07760 220424