Anti-Deportation campaigns

Flyers; press releases; minutes; newsletters and correspondence relating to a number of different anti-deportation campaigns for individuals which the Indian Workers Association supported during the 1980s. The majority of these campaigns were based in the Bradford or Manchester area but the Divided Families Campaign and a couple of other campaigns were based in Birmingham.

/1-/3 papers relating to the Anwar Ditta Defence campaign consisting of a letter to Avtar Jouhl from the Committee enclosing a flyer in English, Punjabi and Urdu for a national demonstration to be held in Rochdale 15 November 1980 with speakers from the Indian Workers Association, Pakistani Workers Association, Bangladesh Workers Association and Kashmiri Workers Association and a statement issued by the Anwar Ditta Defence Campaign giving details about the rejection of the appeal of Anwar Ditta and Shuja UdDin for the entry of their three children from Pakistan, providing information about forthcoming activities, and asking supporters to make donations

/4 set of minutes of a meeting of the Stop the Deportations Committee group held 5 July 1981 in Manchester

/5-/11 papers relating to the campaigns of the Joint Committee Against Deportations, including a flyer giving details about a public meeting organised by the Committee in Bradford 7 August 1982 to oppose the deportation of Mahmud Khan, Gurmej Kaur, Bahadur Singh, Mohinder Singh, Aurang Zeb, Mr Mundiya, and their families, together with information sheets giving an account of the cases of these individuals, known as the 'Bradford 18', and statements issued by the Joint Committee Against Deportations condemning the effects of the 1971 Immigration Act on families, and the rise in racist attacks. The papers also include an open letter from the Committee setting out its demands, asking supporting organisations to affiliate to the group, and giving information about future events, July 1982

/12-/16 papers relating to the activities of the Divided Families Campaign, including sets of minutes of meetings of this group held 20 November 1987 and 13 January 1988 in Birmingham; copy of the Divided Families Charter for Change; and poster and flyer for a conference on 'Black Communities and Immigration Control' 15 October 1988 in Birmingham, organised by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants

/17-/21 papers relating to the Viraj Mendis Defence Campaign including copies of the campaign bulletin 30 January 1987, 24 June 1988 and 2 March 1989 which contain news items about the progress of Viraj's appeal against deportation to Sri Lanka; flyer for a 24 hour vigil at the Ascension church in Hulme, Manchester, where Viraj Mendis had sought sanctuary, and a letter of reply to Avtar Jouhl from the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Department concerning Viraj Mendis's case, enclosing background notes on the assessment by the Home Office, 13 February 1989. Viraj Mendis was deported to Sri Lanka 20 January 1989

The file also includes material of a more miscellaneous nature relating to other anti-deportation campaigns, consisting of:

/22 letter from the Muhammad Idrish Defence Campaign to supporters announcing that Muhammad Idrish has won his final appeal against deportation and inviting campaigners to a victory celebration at Aston University. The letter also urges people to continue to build support for other anti-deportation campaigns. The Muhammad Idrish Defence Campaign was based at the Asian Resource Centre in Handsworth, Birmingham

/23 press release issued by the Rajwinder Singh Defence Campaign, Bradford, giving information about his case, and activities carried out by the campaign. The press release announces that the family has received removal orders and gives details about action to be taken by the campaign in response to this, 31 January 1987

/24 statement issued by the Bangladesh Divided Families Campaign providing information about the case of Abdul Wahid who is trying to be reunited with his children, and giving details about a picket of the Immigration Appeals Court in London in support of Abdul Wahid's case and that of all divided families, 15 December, undated

/25 flyer issued by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers giving an update on the case of Hemlata Patel against deportation and announcing a lobby outside her appeal hearing at the Government Building in Yardley, Birmingham, 6 December, undated

/26 flyer issued by the Friends of Halimat Babamba, Leeds, giving information about the case and setting out ways in which supporters can help the campaign. Halimat was being threatened with deportation to Nigeria, having left her violent husband, and was facing being separated from her children

/27 flyer issued by the Som Raj Defence Campaign; Baba Bakh Taura Defence Campaign; Lisa Huen Defence Campaign and Param Jit Defence Campaign, giving information about a protest at Harwich Quay for the release of refugees held as immigration prisoners on a ferry at Harwich, 5 September, undated

/28 pages from a report published by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants possibly entitled 'Law and Practice', containing summaries of a number of deportation cases heard at the Court of Appeal in 1984

/29 flyer issued by the Amir Kabul Khan Defence Campaign asking supporters to write to the Home Secretary and to their MPs in protest at the threatened deportation of Amir to Pakistan and his separation from his family. The flyer gives information about Amir's case, and an account of attempts by immigration officers to forcibly remove him from his house, after which he took refuge at Birmingham Central Mosque. There is also a handwritten version of the petition issued by the Amir Kabul Khan Defence Campaign to the Home Office, in Punjabi

/30 statement on the case of Harmail Singh Aujla and Kulwinder Kaur and the difficulties they have experience in trying to obtain an immigration certificate for Kulwinder to enter Britain, 1988

/31 open letter from the Shahid Syed Defence Campaign, organised by National and Local Government Officers Association [NALGO] giving the background to his case, and appealing for supporters to affiliate to help to co-ordinate resistance to his deportation, 1984

/32 flyer in English and Punjabi issued by the Baba Bakhtaura election campaign, giving details about his candidature as candidate for Birmingham Ladywood at the 1983 General Election and the campaign against his deportation