tagged w/ visa controls
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WORLDbytes correspondent Onyeka Igwe reports from Cabaret without Borders an event organised by the Manifesto Club, in opposition to the Home Office’s new visa controls on visiting artists and academics. These controls have already prevented a plethora of creative visitors coming to the UK leading to concerts, exhibitions and international programmes being cancelled. Under the new rules the Home Office effectively determines international programming, what we can and cannot watch, share and experience and whose work merits a UK visit. Meanwhile numerous institutions are co-opted to police and report on visitors they are granted permission to host. This lively cabaret event sees a wide range of artists express their opposition through artistic interventions and personal testimonies. Among the artists and speakers were author Maureen Duffy, cabaret singer Barb Jungr and Josie Appleton, Convenor of the Manifesto Club.WORLDbytes correspondent Onyeka Igwe reports from Cabaret without Borders an event... more
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While the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London was sponsoring Refugee Week in the UK, the management of this well known international university were hosting an immigration raid on campus. The hypocrisy was not lost on students who quickly occupied directorate offices in opposition to the arrest and detention of nine so called ‘illegal’ cleaning staff by border police. WORLDbytes reporters spoke to students at an impromptu rally and inside the occupied offices. As one migrant cleaner from Columbia, Alberto Durango says in the report: “We need to resist... This is happening in the City of London. This is happening all around London…But it’s up to us to fight back.” Student’s opposition and speedy action has already brought results. SOAS Principal Paul Webley was forced to make a request to the home secretary to grant all the cleaners leave to remain in the UK. So far, his demand has fallen on deaf ears, but SOAS chiefs may not be so quick to cooperate with the government’s anti-immigrant agenda in future.While the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London was sponsoring... more
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