More than 50 protesters have gathered at the former Campsfield immigration detention centre in Kidlington after government plans to reopen the location.
The protesters gathered on November 25 to voice their desire to keep the site, which was shut down in 2018 after a contentious history, closed.
Advocating against the expansion to 400 beds, they chanted phrases such as "no human is illegal", "keep Campsfield closed" and "community forever, Campsfield never".
The demonstration was organised by the Coalition to Keep Campsfield Closed and Oxford Student Action for Refugees.
Participants included representatives from student, anti-racist, religious, medical organisations, charities, trade unions, and councillors.
They called for the halt of the reopening, in light of the Supreme Court's declaration against the Rwanda deportations plan.
One of the organisers, Bill MacKeith said: "No planning application has been received for new buildings at Campsfield, and the Supreme Court has declared the Rwanda deportations plan to be not legal."
He urged for the government to reconsider the immigration reforms from before 2022, implying that community-based alternatives could serve as more efficient and humane solutions.
These schemes, according to MacKeith, were "more humane, quicker and cheaper than detention" and suggested that they should replace detention centres completely.
He added: "They should be rolled out country-wide, and detention centres should be closed."
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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