Goosebumps

"I understand immigration is the international movement of people to a destination Country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent resident or naturalized citizens."

Why do people migrate?

The answer is based on individual & groups of individuals.

I grew up in a little town called ____. ____ is likened to London in the southeastern part of ____. She is known for accommodating different kinds of foreigners i.e. Europeans, particularly English people & other African nations, exporting natural & human resources. Life was very sweet & peaceful. I was very known by every single natives perhaps because I fought the bullies, & also I made sure all foreigners are safe & happy. I did not know from where my strength came from, I did.

What an irony, strangers I do not know happens to fight on my behalf.

Then suddenly everything changed. Kidnaping of Europeans, thuggery, showing of wealth, conflicts of religious & rival of corrupt politicians. Life became unsafe. The Europeans took off, leaving the environment & ____. Everyone started leaving to a safer place (it was terrific & it is still how things change in a split of a second).

Unfortunately my immigration case file account does not favour me. A zombie I have become (fact).

No one would understand it unless you have experienced a severe trauma (do not say, it would not happen to you because I did).

My livelihood & my sweet memory of my life has been wipe out in a slip of a second decision by politicians (it took 8 seconds in a board meeting for someone to make a decision that has affected banking institution in the whole world " leman" banks).

I do not know who I am anymore & the purpose I left home 26 years ago into a Commonwealth of nations immigration imprisonment here in United Kingdom. I have been damaged.

Then a security officer came to my cell-room where I shared with two other inmates one a drug dealer who has finished serving his prison term & the other a rapist.

‘Y’ come to the desk someone wants to speak to you. No news is a good news. Who knows me? I reached for the phone at the desk.

Hello I said with humiliating painsive voice. The caller responded with authoritative gentle female voice.

She introduced herself as ‘B___’. She continued. ‘Y’ do you know ‘E___’ & ‘L___’? Who are they I responded? She said I would inform ‘E___’ & ‘L___’ to call you & afterwards she promised to call me again. She dropped.

I returned to my cell pondering who is this strange people ‘B___’, ‘E___’ & ‘L___’.

‘B___’ kept to her promise. ‘E___’ called; ‘Y’ someone whose name is ‘B___’ would call you, she is from a charity organization called Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, she is working to bring you out. ‘L___’ later called. This time I am becoming to recall what is happening.

Then ‘B___’ called, hey ‘Y’ do you remember me? I would visit you if that is okay by you. And also some solicitors would arrange to visit you & also medical justice would visit you. ‘B___’’s voice was empowering. It is like the voice of ‘K___’ today only difference is ‘K___’ puts up a laugh.

Then I became pre-occupied with the amenities in the prisons i.e the library, the craft centre, the chapel, the training centres I acquired almost 12 certificates while waiting for ‘B___’’s plans.

‘B___’'s voice still echoes in my memory daily. ‘B___’ visited, the solicitors & the medical team visited. What is happening here I thought.

Everything in the removal centre is brilliant. The library, the internet cafe, the chapel, the craft centre, the training centres & the laundry.

Amongst of the certificates I obtained one of my best is being trained how to be a brick layer & stress management course.

But the atmosphere in the removal prisons was Hell. Hellish. It is likened to a film I watched " Scare-face" stirring Antonio Montana on Fidel Castro's dictatorship regime.

I cannot described how the security officers arrogate powers to them self (Panorama) & the immigration officers (Windrush). Powers corrupts & absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It was hellish. It is an experience I would never forget. I married my Rosary for support.

Being damaged in the nation you came to seek refuge, sounds esoteric to me. I can recall growing up with the picture of the queen in my pocket for protection & identity.

My weeping is not for myself but for Europeans the hope of human rights & I weep also for British empire the hope of jurisprudence.

You want me to write detailed account of my horrific trauma no no no.

I had prefer to ally myself with the fantastic work the GDWG & Refugee Tales is doing in calling for detention to be scraped & a 100% reform to immigration rules. It would happen.

I look forward to when Refugees Tales would become a movement & I would become part of it.

- by Y.