been very much in the limelight these past few weeks. But are they really knights in shining armour, waging an unending fight against ruthless forces of evil, in the form of the "immigrant smugglers', as the capitalist press would have us believe?
the country. parasites, like those behind the April Diamond enterprise. The real victims are the would-be immigrants. They have travelled half-way around the world, invested much of their life savings, and suffered serious hardships, both physical and mental, all in vain.
DIRTY WORK The work of the Illegal Immigration Unit can have far reaching effects on the immigrant community. As the Sunday Times put it, *.. the Illegal Immigration Unit is inexorably building up the information in its search for the organisers that for the first time makes possible a mass round-up and removal of illegal immigrants in Britain.* The unit is rumoured to have at its disposal information gained from two years work checking the names of legally admitted immigrants against those of non-U.K. citizens registered for National Insurance.
The dirty work may be done by others, but there can be little doubt that it will be done. In the words of Chief Inspector William Hughes of the Unit: If we come across a person who is in the country in contravention of the law then of course we would inform the police in his area."
POLICE PERSECUTION The upshot has been increased police persecution of immigrants across the country. Indian and Pakistani organisations have been flooded with reports of police harassment in recent weeks. A factory in East London, employing mainly Pakistani workers, is reported to have been raided by the police, who interrogated every single worker.
Usually however, the police are more efficient and know exactly who they are atter. A police squad recently descended on the Mars factory in Slough and snatched four immigrant I.M.G. PUBLIC MEETING The Invasion of Czechoslovakia - Five years later Speakers: Robin Blackburn Ivan Hartell Steve Lynch (G&WU, personal capacity)
FIRST SHOWING OF A FILM OF THE INVASION Friday, 24 August, at 7.30 p.m. in the New Ambassadors Hotel, Upper Woburn Place (5 minutes from Euston Station). Their main purpose is to prevent "illegal' immigrants from entering Their activities do not hit at just the bloodsucking swoops have been made on factories Hitchin and Slough police. As these in Bradford.
In Gravesend it is known that the police are employing the services of an informer in the hunt for illegal' immigrants.
STATEMENT ON THE The International Marxist Group and Red Weekly unconditionally support the right of the Irish republican are two areas where the extreme right is very active, serious questions are 'raised about cooperation between the police and local fascist groups. Nor is it just a question of cooperation: during one recent raid a policeman jokingly referred to himself as a member of Immigration and Repatriation Squad'. The influence of Powellism seems to extend inside A large proportion of - the police force as well. Four 'illegal' immigrants in the custody of immigration officials This campaign of intimidation comes at a time when big, new working class struggles are on the agenda. Every move to weaken the fighting spirit of any section of workers, or to make the forging of a fighting unity more difficult, must be ferociously resisted. The entire working class movement must pledge its support for self-defence moves made by the immigrant community and should itself take up the defence of immigrant workers. Any attempt by an employer to use racism or racist laws against black WOLKCIS should be fought. The police should be denied admission to any workplace for pur poses connected with the immigration laws. Industrial action should be taken against any employer who cooperates with the police.
There is a very easy way to stamp out those parasites, the immigrant smugglers" It is not by increasing police force, nor by cracking down more viciously on their victims, but by ending the racist immigration laws which make their trade possible As we feared, the pause in our publishing