Asylum seekers held in Crumlin Road Gaol

Sinn Féin has hit out at the British Government over its use of the mothballed Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast to detain asylum seekers and is calling on British Prime Minister Tony Blair to review his government's policies on immigration and the detention of asylum seekers.

The party is also demanding the British release immediately the two asylum seekers, a Macedonian and Pakistani, presently being held in the Victorian Belfast building.

North Belfast Assembly member Kathy Stanton made the call after she visited the two asylum seekers on Wednesday 27 October.

Angry

Stanton is angry that the asylum seekers, who have committed no crime, are incarcerated in prison conditions. "Their human rights are being violated," said Stanton.

The North Belfast MLA criticised the British who, after some adverse publicity over the policy of holding asylum seekers in Maghaberry, moved them to Crumlin Road Gaol and Hydebank Young Offenders Centre to deflect the criticism.

"This is totally unacceptable", fumed Stanton.

She added that one of Sinn Féin's main concerns "is the health and welfare of detainees, given the negative experiences of the detainees in Maghaberry where they are initially processed as criminals and the fact that they were racially abused".