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 School of Oriental and African Studies |
Immigration raids at college were ‘revenge’, students claim
Protests held at SOAS as cleaners who won better pay deal face deportation
STUDENTS staged a sit-in protest at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), after nine cleaners who campaigned for better pay were seized in a dawn raid by immigration officials on Friday.
Six of the cleaners who worked at the Bloomsbury college had been deported to South America on Wednesday.
Students and unions have accused the cleaning company, ISS, of conspiring to alert the authorities in a move aimed at taking “revenge” on the workers, following a successful campaign to raise wages from £5.05 to a “living wage” of £7.60.
SOAS Unison representative Sandy Nicholl said: “It’s not an accident that immigration raids are taking place in workplaces where cleaners have been organising to win better pay and conditions.”
On Wednesday night, student union representatives were claiming a victory after SOAS issued a joint statement, pledging to write to the Home Office to demand the return of the deported workers.
The statement said: “The events surrounding last Friday have been deeply distressing for everyone at SOAS and in particular the individuals who were detained.
“Furthermore, we are disturbed by allegations that have emerged about the possible role that ISS played in the visit.”
It is unclear what weight the statement will carry with immigration agencies.
One cleaner, Marina Silva, 63, reportedly collapsed due to stress. She is currently being held at Yarl’s Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire and is awaiting deportation to Brazil.
Craig Smith of ISS said: “We did not call in the immigration officers and we have always supported the Living Wage campaign. We have other workers who are on living wage and have not been visited by immigration officials.”
A spokesman for SOAS defended the nature of the swoop: “We understand this must have been distressing for those involved, and indeed our own colleagues.
“However, we believe the checks were carried out quickly and in a sympathetic manner.”
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