'Heavy Handed Police Raids on the Chinese Community Were Insensitive and Need to be Scrutinized'

Published in Black London Forum -BLF- October 19, 2007 08:14AM on Fri 19th Oct 2007

LIB DEM PROSPECTIVE LONDON MAYOR CANDIDATE, Cllr Fiyaz Mughal Stated - "The Heavy Handed Raids on Chinese Businesses Last Week in London Seriously Undermine Community Relations Especially When Detainees are Supposedly Refused Access to Legal Advice."

Last Thursday a series of raids took place by Police in conjunction with the Immigration and Nationality Department and these were mainly on Chinese owned businesses in areas like Edgware. About 52 staff were taken away on suspicion of being illegal immigrants though three were released after their lawyer attended Charing Cross Police Station before they were sent to detention camps.

The three were already going through relevant legal immigration channels. Reports have come through from members of the Chinese community that those who were arrested were not given access to lawyers and that the arrests were made with a film crew supposedly from the British Broadcasting Corporation. Those employers caught up in the arrests are liable to up to 14 years imprisonment under Section 25 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act (2006).

Commenting on the arrests, Cllr Fiyaz Mughal stated that: "The restrictions placed on those arrested so that they did not have access to legal advice, is appalling. Their basic rights were withdrawn and I am very concerned to hear that there was a BBC crew filming when arrests took place. Understandably, the Chinese Community is upset and they feel that their dignity has been infringed upon."

"I was at the demonstration today in Soho and the Deputy Director of the Borders and Immigration Service turned up. Suggestions were made by him that support will be provided to Chinese employers to check the validity of documents provided by employees and in future, no film crews will be involved when arrests are to be made. Assurances were given that any cases that come to light around the lack of access to legal rights, will be stringently investigated."