by In an alarming, but necessary, report from Oxford, it appears the UK have their very own Gitmo-like forever detainee camp called “Campsfield House.”
Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre is an imposing concrete building. Situated in Kidlington, just outside Oxford City, it is surrounded by electrified gates and rabbit-proof, 20-foot-high fences surmounted by barbed wire. The 216 men inside are victims of relentless UK legislation that is systematically stripping them of human rights, while hiding behind the facade of immigration control.
Campsfield House opened in 1993 and serves as a waiting room for persons who have been refused asylum in this country. UK Border Control alleges that detention provides care for people while they wait to be deported or removed. Since its creation, however, the treatment of those inside Campsfield has led to numerous hunger strikes and suicide attempts – some successful.
In the USA the immigrant has always been the whipping boy — but, as of yet — we haven’t chosen to permanently criminalize them to the point of branding them all “persona non grata” and worthy of a wanton, and forever, permanent incarceration.
If the 700 Mile White Picket Fence fails, I suppose we can build our own Campsfield House along the Southern USA border to hold all those ungrateful inalienables seeking their own righteous plot in our land of amber waves of grain.
What a disappointing situation, David. How can this be? How many secret prisons are there in the free world?
That is the big question, isn’t it, Anne? How many of these “black sites” exist and how will we ever know about them unless someone escapes and talks about it? Sure, there are insiders that know, but how many of them are willing to go on the record for freedom while eliminating their job in the process?
We have to make it more profitable to reveal the bad people than to protect them, yes? It’s the only way.
There is certainly a lot of truth in that plan, Anne. I like the idea of paying people off to bring the dark sites into the public light. The all of us will be better for that effort.