Alf Filer writes

The call for tighter immigration controls and the adopting of a points system, is Margaret Hodge’s response to the BNP in Dagenham and elsewhere. She argues that the present system is unfair and argues for a new points system to be based on length of residence or national insurance contributions in determining whether migrants have made a fair contribution to society and whether they should be treated the same rights as local families. Her views are welcomed by Sir Andrew Green, chairman of the MigrationWatch, “’This sounds like a very promising idea.”

Dave Landau of the No One is Illegal campaign, in making the case for open borders reminds us of the famous phrase from the Communist Manifesto, "From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs.” This, he says, is the underlying principle of Socialism. But Margaret Hodge has added a caveat – ‘unless you are a migrant’. No surprise really: she long abandoned the principles of socialism – if she ever truly embraced them.

What about the unfair advantages of New Labour and Tory economic migrants who come and go with their millions to evade tax? What about the Treasury’s slowness in tightening up of the tax loopholes? How many companies have reregistered in tax havens over the past decade to evade tax, whilst making their profits in this country at the expense of their workers on the minimum pay and under dreadful working conditions? How many jobs have been lost as a result? Then the same bosses turn round and expect workers to be patriotic and sing God Save the Queen. The only response we can have to this is an internationalist response which acknowledges the international nature of capitalism and for an international eco-socialist set of solutions.

Dave then goes on to ask “Within much of the Left there has arisen a strange self-censorship in respect to immigration controls. In private the Left will say it is opposed to all controls. However at the same time it argues that such a demand is “too advanced” or “too abstract” to argue in public. We consider this bizarre position is based on pessimism about confronting the hard and popular racism behind immigration controls.”

New Labour’s record on the maltreatment of asylum seekers, the horrendous conditions at Yarl’s Wood, and the methods by which young families are forcibly deported puts this country to shame. As Dave states, “those subject to control are human beings not vegetables or inanimate objects”.

Racist abuse at the immigration removal centre run by the private company Global Solutions Ltd (formerly Group 4 ) have been well documented. At present, around 50 women are in their 5^th day of hunger strike at Yarl’s Wood protesting over their detention and conditions of imprisonment. It houses 405 women and children in unacceptable surroundings. They are trapped in hallways, kettled in and denied access to medical attention.

Cristel Amiss of the Black Women’s Rape Action Project is calling for the women to be immediately allowed back in their rooms and demanding an immediate investigation into this. She pointed out that “over 70% of the women are rape survivors, many are sick and vulnerable”. She asks, “why are they being punished for raising serious injustices?”

E.U. supporters argue in favour of the Single European Act, upholding the free movement of labour within the enlarged Europe. What they really mean is the absolute freedom of capital to move anywhere it wishes to, with the aid of the WTO rules and have the freedom to exploit globally labour and our planets’ resources in the pursuit of profit. They can then be free to dictate the rules and turn on and off the tap of immigration as it suits them.