Category: Cross Channel Refugees

STOP THE WAR AGAINST IRAN NOW!

STOP THE WAR AGAINST IRAN NOW!

Defend Iran Against Imperialist War

Defeat Trump & Netanyahu’s Fascist/Zionist War Drive

Build Workers’ Action in Offices, Factories & Ports to Boycott Arms Trade with the US & Israel

Stop all UK government cooperation with Trump’s War against Iran

All British Armed Forces out of the Middle East & Mediterranean

To fight Racism & Fascism anywhere we must fight for real refugee & immigrant rights in Britain– Free Movement! Open the Borders

The Iranian People Have the Right to Determine Their Future

The US/Israeli War is a Failing Attempt at Recolonization, NOT Liberation – the Iranian People Know it and Reject it            

28/03/2026

Trump and Netanyahu’s unprovoked war against Iran has raised the specter of demented fascism, genocidal Zionism, and total war – And the whole world shudders. The Middle East becomes even more unstable. The long-standing crisis of the global capitalist economy deepens. Resolving the worldwide climate crisis of a world tied to oil & gas is delayed again, to an even more distant future. The poor and oppressed become poorer, sicker, and more oppressed. The ruling classes of every country buy more armaments, paid for by more cuts to whatever educational, social and health services are left.

However, from the very start of this war, Trump & Netanyahu have met with far greater, better prepared, and more creative resistance from Iran than they ever thought possible. Iran’s strength is already exposing differences between their agendas: Trump’s focus is on asserting his self-image as the world’s dominant fascist ruler; for Netanyahu, the attack on Iran is a long-planned stage in the long war for Israeli control & occupation of the Middle East. The imperialist governments and ruling classes of Europe – the supposed NATO allies of the US – recognize this US/Israeli war as another sign of their declining power and the effective break-up of the NATO alliance. They are hanging back, watching developments, and dithering.

All working class, progressive, anti-racist & anti-fascist organisations must unite in action & fight by any means necessary to end this war, and to prevent our government taking any part in it. Today’s mass demonstration is a show of our potential unity. We must unite to stop the war. We must exploit the divisions & hesitations of the politicians in order to block their inevitable inclination to join Trump’s war. The mass movements for Palestinian freedom and the rights of workers, refugees, immigrants etc have that potential power.

Iran and Imperialism

The war against Iran is an attempt to reverse the 1979 Iranian revolution, which was a major defeat for western imperialism, and for the State of Israel – the principal agent of the US in the Middle East.

Iran has the largest land area and population of the Middle East’s big oil producing countries. For more than a century, imperialist powers tried to carve it up or take control of its politics & its resources. In the 1920s, the British imperialists deposed the old royal family and imposed the rule of the brutally repressive Pahlavi dynasty. When an elected Iranian government nationalized the oil industry in the early 1950s, Britain and the US organised a coup and reinstated the second Pahlavi Shah (King).

Under the last Shah’s notoriously brutal rule, Iran was second only to Israel as the western imperialists’ ally & agent in the Middle East. In 1979 he was overthrown by the people’s revolution. The religious leaders (Ayatollahs) who the Shah sent into exile, returned to Iran. In the turmoil of the revolution, they were able to use their authority to establish a theocratic state which has become increasingly repressive.

Ever since that revolution, Iran has come under increasing pressure and sanctions from the US and its allies. This has caused increasing poverty among the Iranian people. In response, the regime has increased its authoritarian control and turned to Russia and China for support. The regime’s authoritarianism has been challenged by outbreaks of resistance that have shaken its authority, but they have been repressed by its considerable military power.

The imperialist pressures on Iran have done more to preserve its authoritarian, theocratic regime than remove it. The great mass of the Iranian people knows better than to trust the imperialists’ false promises, and they have demonstrated that they have no intention of turning their country over to US imperialism and Israel.

Why the US and Israel Have Gone to War – and How They Miscalculated the Response

For Trump’s fascist regime in America and Netanyahu’s fascist regime in Israel, the current war on Iran is a continuation of their genocidal war and ‘ethnic cleansing’ against the Palestinian people, in order to destroy all resistance and maintain their domination of the Middle East and its resources. At the same time, Netanyahu has stepped up Israeli attacks on Lebanon and occupied the southern part of that country.

The goals of Trump & Netanyahu put the State of Israel in a state of permanent war, which, if continued, will end in self-destruction. It is only possible at present because of American support. They are united by their fascist delusions, which is what makes them – and this war – so dangerous.

For Trump & his declining circle of devotees, this is his fascist war, and that is all it is. There are no rational reasons for this war at this time. It is deeply unpopular in America, even among Trump’s own supporters. This fascist president’s only purpose in going to war against Iran at this time is to demonstrate to the world his unrestrained power of inhuman, fascistic destruction, to demonstrate – not only to enemies but to unhappy former supporters – that their views are of no account, he is King of Kings.

At this point in history, Trump and Netanyahu believed they had an opportunity because the regional influence of the Iranian regime’s was in decline, following the setbacks suffered by the anti-Zionist resistance groups it had sponsored: Hezbollah and Hamas. However,they were blinded to the power of resistance by a people under attack and did not expect the resurgence of Hezbollah.

For the poor & oppressed of the Middle East and the whole world, for all the discriminated-against communities, refugees, immigrant workers etc in Britain, the most positive resolution of this war is the military defeat of the US and Israel.

Workers’ Action Can Stop the War: Boycott All Support & Supplies for War Against Iran

The movement in Britain that has marched for Palestine is still marching. Those who have built the mass anti-war movement of resistance to Starmer’s warmongering, defended Palestine Action, mobilized against fascists, and filled countless courtrooms are now on the streets demanding an immediate end to the US/Israeli war against Iran. Every time we march for Palestine we must be marching for Iran – One struggle! One fight!

All those progressive & anti-war forces in Britain, especially in the trade unions, must now organise boycotts to undermine and disrupt the US/Israeli attack on Iran. We should act in the spirit of the dockworkers in European and Mediterranean ports who have blockaded arms shipments to Israel, and British civil servants who refused to license arms for Israel, and we must act more widely and creatively to stop, disrupt, or undermine the transport and delivery of any form of armaments, goods, services, & communications that could assist the attacks on Iran.

We must demand that our trade union leaders organise this campaign of action, or at least support and defend it, but we cannot wait for them or rely on them. The need for this action is urgent, so we have to organise rank-and-file action groups in our workplaces, whatever and wherever they are.

The Fight Against Fascism

This fight is not simply a campaign against an imperialist war; it is a battle against fascism. A victory for the US & Israel would mean a victory for fascism on a global scale – and further wars. Rich & powerful capitalists across the world are turning to fascism because their economic & political system has reached a dead-end. They have created the greatest levels of inequality in all human history, and they cannot solve any of the huge problems they have created. They turn to the fascists to CRUSH US, to take away ALL our rights & freedoms, to deny our right to free speech etc. That is what Trump is trying to do, and what Netanyahu is doing in Israel.

To achieve power, the fascists use racism, ethnic nationalism, religious divisions, and violent thuggery on our streets – and they use Parliament as well. That is happening now in Britain – it is not “Far Right,” an imprecise term that hides the reality. It is fascism, and to defeat the fascists, we have to fight for the rights & freedoms they plan to destroy – freedom of speech, demonstrations etc, defense against racist/fascist attacks, and fighting for the free movement of people, which is a fundamental human right. Destroying freedom of movement, as Starmer’s government is doing, is increasing racism. Our mass movements should build anti-fascist defense unit, and demand OPEN THE BORDERS.

If we in Britain, as workers, refugees and immigrants, as black, Asian & Muslim people, as poor and oppressed people fight by any means necessary to build significant action against the US/Israeli war machine that is attacking Iran, we will have weakened our own racist, anti-working class government, and struck a major blow against Trump’s fascist programme in the US, and against fascism in this country, across Europe, and in the Middle East. THAT MUST BE OUR AIM.

Join MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE. We Fight to Win

Defend Free Speech on Palestine!

Speak out and pack the public gallery of Tower Hamlets Council meeting and demand they act on our petition against the racist, Islamophobic Prevent policy!

(London 13.01.2024, National march for Palestine)
(London 13.01.2024, National march for Palestine)

Lobby: 6pm

Council Meeting: 6.30pm

Wednesday 8th May 2024

Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ

STOP THE USE OF PREVENT TO HARASS STUDENTS, WORKERS AND THE COMMUNITY

DEFEND FREE SPEECH AND DEMOCRACY – FREE SPEECH ON PALESTINE: We have a right to speak out & support the Palestinians’ fight against ethnic-cleansing & genocide

STOP THE ATTACKS ON THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND ALL SUPPORTERS OF THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE

Over the last few months hundreds of Tower Hamlets community members have signed the petition opposing the racist, Islamophobic Prevent programme and demanding the Council takes action.

After mobilising our community in Tower Hamlets, petitioning outside colleges, mosques, and markets for months, with hundreds of community members, especially Muslim community members, signing our petitions, Tower Hamlets Council has placed it on their agenda for this month’s meeting. They have agreed for us to formally present our petition and address the Council on Wednesday. We need everyone to join Movement for Justice (MFJ) at the meeting, fill the public gallery, speak out, and make sure that the Council votes for and takes action on the urgent demands of this petition (see text below).

This petition speaks for the whole of our community and beyond.

 
                     
        (Peckham, London 02.05.2024 Successful mass action stopping a forced removal of refugees to the Bibby Stockholm barge)       

Last week there were mass actions to support our cross-Channel refugee sisters and brothers fighting against the Tory government’s attempts to displace, detain, and deport them to Rwanda – a policy of death. There is a direct parallel between the support of the Tories and the Labour Party leadership for the Israeli government’s displacement and incarceration of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and the UK government’s attacks on cross-Channel refugees. In a sense the cross-Channel refugees are Britain’s persecuted ‘Palestinians’.

Uniting the movements that are fighting to defeat Tory support for the Israeli government’s genocidal war on the Palestinians, and our own government’s plans to deport cross-Channel refugees to Rwanda would be a victory for both the Palestinian struggle and the struggle of all refugees.

We need to make sure that Tower Hamlets Council sets a national example of how a local authority can defend the right of its community to fight and speak the plain truth about racism, about anti-Muslim bigotry in the UK, and about the struggle of Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank.

Attend the lobby and Council meeting on Wednesday, speak out and make sure our demands are acted on by Tower Hamlets Council.

Below is the text of the petition being discussed and voted on.

Defend Free Speech and Democracy

We the undersigned are petitioning Tower Hamlets’ mayor and council because we have real concerns about the government led Prevent programme as it directly affects the Muslim community in this borough. The experience of Muslims who live, work and study in Tower Hamlets, especially the experience of Muslim young people and their families, demonstrate clearly that Prevent is a racist, Islamophobic policy and a restriction on our right to free speech.

That situation has become more acute because the UK government is giving political and material support to the Israeli government in the conflict that is inflicting death and suffering on the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.

The people of Tower Hamlets are showing great resilience at this difficult time. Many have demonstrated their support and sympathy for the Palestinian people, but we are still fearful of the consequences. Many of the borough’s Muslim parents are worried that a child’s innocent comment could lead to them being hauled before Prevent. In some situations Muslim community members and parents have come together to resist the threat of Prevent, as happened recently in our neighbouring borough, Waltham Forest, but in most cases we feel too isolated to do that.

At the same time, we know that many of Tower Hamlets educators, social workers etc feel unhappy and compromised by Prevent, regardless of their religion or ethnic identity.

Therefore, we call on Tower Hamlets’ Mayor Lutfur Rahman and Tower Hamlets’ Council to:

Call a meeting and a series of local meetings in Tower Hamlets for members of the community to speak about our experience with Prevent, and publish the findings of such meetings.

06 May 2024

Cross-Channel refugees win major victory in Court of Appeal: It is not a crime to steer a refugee boat across the Channel

Quash ALL the convictions – Free the refugees from prison!

Crown Prosecution Service must drop all pending prosecutions of cross-Channel refugees and refuse any further prosecutions – SIGN & SHARE THE PETITION!

Refugees who have risked their lives crossing the Channel to seek asylum have been slandered, persecuted and politically exploited by Johnson’s racist government. Now they have won an important victory. Yesterday the Court of Appeal ruled that it is not a crime for refugees to steer small boats across the Channel, to do their best to keep themselves and fellow refugees safe so they can exercise their legal right to claim asylum in Britain.  

The decision came following a special hearing last week, in which the Court of Appeal brought together four claims made separately by cross-Channel refugees. There were at least seven other refugees who were determined to fight for justice and waiting for  the outcome of  this hearing. They all have been or still are imprisoned  for that supposed ‘crime.’ The quashed all four convictions, making it almost certain the other seven will be quashed in January. 

Movement for Justice (MFJ) welcomes this decision. It is a defence of human rights and the UN Refugee Convention, made in defiance of a government that is tearing up asylum rights and  human rights, and under the threat of a new Nationality & Borders Bill – the purpose of which is to change the law so that it will, automatically, be a crime for any refugee to cross the Channel or seek to enter the UK without a legal document. 

Politically, yesterday’s decision is a challenge to the whole direction in which this Far Right, authoritarian government is moving – and not only on asylum and immigration policy.

Since 2019 the Home Office has used photographic evidence from drones to get the police to arrest refugees who steered boats across the Channel, and then treated them as ‘people traffickers.’ That accusation was obviously false and the Home Office knew it was false. Nevertheless, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) agreed to prosecute the refugees who the Home Office identified.

The legal principles of today’s decision were actually established by a Court of Appeal hearing in April this year – in the case of Fouad Kakaei, an Iranian asylum seeker. Over the next few months prosecutions were dropped in another eleven cases, and in July the CPS announced publicly that it would not be bringing any further prosecutions against cross-Channel refugees. 

However, the Home Office has continued to target refugees who steered boats. The CPS soon fell into line and brought more prosecutions. There are still many hearings scheduled: the next one is on January 4th and the list includes the case of MFJ member Nabil Abdulmajid in May.

The plain truth is that the government and the Home Office have consciously ignored the legal decisions and acted as though the new Borders Bill was already on the statute books. The CPS has agreed to be their accomplice. Canterbury Crown Court, where every one of these cases has been heard, is a racist production line churning out guilty verdicts for the Home Office. 

This is the state of affairs under a regime that despises democracy and humanity; it has no respect for us or even for the law. It sees all such concerns as obstacles to its political and economic objectives. In that context yesterday’s decision in the Court of Appeal can be described as a defence of democracy and human rights. It has fired a kind of warning shot at the development of dictatorship and fascism. It further undermines the tattered legitimacy of this government and its policies. 

The full significance of this decision will become a reality if we understand the authority it will give a refugee, immigrant and youth led movement to resist the Home Office and make the Borders Bill unworkable.

We have the advantage that Britain’s ruling elite is increasingly divided – important sections of the judiciary against the Home Office, different sections of capitalist businesses against the government or against each other, and the government increasingly divided against itself. Our movement must learn how to build collective action to take advantage of these divisions in order to increase the power and unity of the poor, exploited and oppressed. 

The Home Office, the Court of Appeal and the CPS are at loggerheads on many fronts. On the Borders Bill and the Home Office’s general anti-immigrant measures they are in conflict over the central public plank in the government’s political agenda. We must demand that the CPS grows a backbone and refuses to bow any longer to the government’s demands that it ignores the decisions of the courts. Specifically, we demand that the CPS immediately drops all prosecutions of refugees who have steered boats across the Channel and refuses to bring any new prosecutions. 

MFJ demonstrating outside the Court of Appeal on day two of the hearing.