ERITREAN WOMEN’S GROUP SUPPORTS the ASYLUM SEEKERS SLEEPING OUTSIDE REFUGEE COUNCIL AND PROTESTING SECTION 55

The reason why we the Eritrean women’s group formed and began to meet at the Crossroads women’s centre is because we are suffering under Section 55 and no other organisations would help us.  When we went to the Refugee Council we were refused housing so we lobbied the One Stop Shop in Brixton, and also Channel Four to tell the public what we are suffering.  We worked with women in Euro Tower who suffered rape and other violence, and found women from many different countries, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon are going through similar experiences.

Now we are supporting the women and men sleeping rough outside Refugee Council offices.  We are part of this demonstration because we are suffering the same.  Section 55 has had a terrible effect on many women and our children.

   A mother of 3 children was forcibly dispersed out of London.  Racists threw eggs at her and broke her fingers. The police returned her to London.  NASS tried to disperse her again and Refugee Council said  they would no longer support her and her children, and they are still homeless.  To disperse a mother is double torture – we and our children have fled war and conflict, and come here for our safety only to be brutally forced away from our friends and caring networks, which are not easy to make in an unfamiliar and often hostile country.

   A young woman was wrongly advised that she was not entitled to support and was raped while sleeping rough.

   An elderly woman previously housed for 4 years was made homeless despite having a letter from hospital confirming that she was suffering depression and was being treated by the Medical Foundation for the Victims Torture.  She has now been diagnosed as having a breakdown, and slept rough for many months.

As well as Section 55, we are fighting the callos dismissal of our claims.

Many women would like to take a job but are prevented from doing so. Instead they are forced into absolute poverty. With no housing, no money they are forced to sleep in the street and in parks. We are being forced to be criminals.  Yet Refugee Council get £70 million a year from the Home Office while we suffer from hunger, homelessness, destitution.   At Legal Action for Women’s Press Conference where many of us spoke publicly for the first time about our suffering,  a Refugee Council manager, a refugee herself,  accused us of not telling the truth. She refused to understand, or hear, or feel what the women sleeping rough were saying – she takes her salary and “supports the company”.

We escaped rape and other torture and find ourselves destitute in the country we came for safety. All of our health is deteriorating, we have no access to food, water, or the health service, we are being slowly killed. As the winter approaches many of us will not survive.

Section 55 is just an excuse to starve us out and doubly  punish women.  We have already faced a hell of problems in our countries, and more when we get here and claim asylum 

27 August 03

Protests Against Section 55 continue

home