Zita Holbourne

The Campaign

During the pandemic, the UK Government embarked on what are widely viewed as a hostile series of mass deportations by charter flight to countries like Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Nigeria and Ghana. In addition, refugees in Northern France were left in limbo and people seeking asylum, who had no recourse to public funds, were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Zita campaigned to stop the flights and, whilst they still went ahead, they left with fewer people on board. Working together with lawyers and other migrant rights and race equality groups, Zita organised support to get individuals and their families removed from the flights.

Advice, information and legal representation was offered to those affected, and the campaign used social media, art, videos and petitions to raise awareness, gain public support, lobby politicians, and put pressure on organisations complicit in these deportations, like airlines. Protests and creative direct actions targeted the airlines running the flights.

Zita ran fundraising campaigns to support individuals and provide aid to refugees, and people with no recourse to public funds.

The Change

Most people affected were not deported, thanks to legal representation and access to support organisations. The awareness that the campaign generated put pressure on those responsible and led to multiple successful legal challenges.

One airline responsible for running the majority of the 2021 deportation flights was targeted by the campaign, which caused them to withdraw.

Some funding was agreed by the Government for those with no recourse to public funds and, whilst campaigners considered it far from adequate, it would not have come about without campaigning and public pressure.

Many draconian aspects of the Nationality and Borders Bill were defeated in the House of Lords through protests, the mobilisation of support, public awareness-raising, political lobbying, social media campaigns and creative protests. These maintained pressure on the Government and contributed to a better outcome.

In April 2022, BARAC UK landed a victory. As a result of their campaigning, the government did a u-turn on their inhumane and illegal push-back of small boats of refugees into the English Channel sea.

The Future

The struggle continues and the hostile environment for black, minority ethnic, migrant and refugee communities has not ended. Zita’s belief is that, by harnessing collective people power in mobilising and organising, positive change can happen. Zita says her work and collaboration with others will continue to tackle interconnected issues, linked to the legacies of colonialism and enslavement, because those legacies must be addressed, and the human rights of all people must be fought for.