3rd February: Campaign Update

• SYMAAG’s John Grayson was interviewed by Toby Foster on Radio Sheffield about why G4S shouldn’t provide asylum seekers’ housing. Listen again at 7.45am during the programme.
• The Yorkshire Post newspaper of 3rd February has a detailed article on the subject, including statements from SYMAAG and G4S. There is also a letter on behalf of SYMAAG in the same issue.
• This letter, with a full list of signatories has been published at the Institute of Race Relations website
• The issue was discussed at Sheffield City Council (which currently houses 60% of asylum seekers in Sheffield) on 1st February, where we received wide support from councillors who feared a drastic reduction in the quality of housing for asylum seekers if G4S take over.
• Protest letters and emails have been sent to Sheffield MPs, including Nick Clegg.
• UK Borders Agency management have been questionned – by a range of asylum rights groups in Sheffield – about the proposed contract with G4S. They were unable to provide any assurances about G4S’ actions regarding housing, or about the behaviour of any sub-contractors (likely to be United Property Management)
• 2 regional demonstrations: “Stop Prison Guards Housing Asylum Seekers: Stop G4S”. On Wednesday 15th February and Thursday 1st March. Both at 12.30, both outside Sheffield Town Hall. Support has been growing around Yorkshire and Humberside for these demonstrations.

What You Can Do

• Join the regional demonstrations in Sheffield. Get your community group, trade union, anti-cuts group, campaign group to support and sponsor the demonstrations
• Write to/email your MP, telling them why public money shouldn’t be used to fund the world’s biggest security company, G4S, moving asylum seekers to the lowest cost housing. Find the contact details of your MP
• Contact the UK Borders Agency to let them know what you think about G4S housing asylum seekers. Email neyhcompasstransition@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
• Get in touch with us (via the ‘contact us’ tab on our home page) to tell us about your experiences of G4S in detention centres, prisons and during transports and deportations. We’d also like to hear from you if you have expereince of being housed by United Property Management (who G4S would like to use as sub-contractors)
• Find out more about GS4’s history and their housing ambitions at the Corporate Watch site. The National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC) have blogged about the G4S housing bid.
• Sign the e-petition “Stop G4S Housing Asylum Seekers”