THE closure of Campsfield House will be marked by a demonstration tomorrow night.
Earlier this month it was announced that the immigration detention centre in Kidlington would be shut, after 25 years.
Demonstrators will gather at Oxford Town Hall from around 7pm tomorrow, to hear testimony from an ex-detainee and see a new exhibition about the campaign.
READ MORE: Campsfield House closure is 'long overdue', say campaign group
Organiser Bill MacKeith, from the Campaign to Close Campsfield, said: "We think soberly of all the harm done, the lives damaged or destroyed, and those lost - 18-year-old Kurd Ramazan Kamluca in June 2005 and Moldovan Ianos Dragotan in August 2011 – at Campsfield over the past 25 years."
The 216-bed facility is a long-term detention centre where detainees are kept until their case is resolved and they are removed from the country.
There have been regular demonstrations against the centre for years, including rooftop protests, hunger strikes, interventions from MPs and prominent academics and a solidarity march to London.
Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla had recently called for its closure, while Oxford charity Asylum Welcome hailed the move.
A 'lively' protest outside the centre will also take place from noon on Saturday.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel