THE audience at the performance of Asylum Monologues, held at the School of Law, University of Hertfordshire, on Wednesday June 10, heard powerful and moving testimonies on what it is like being an asylum seeker in the UK. The event was organised by St Albans Amnesty International Group with the Student Law Society, University of Hertfordshire.
Tying in with Refugee Week (June 15 to 21), the performance saw three actors speaking the words of actual asylum seekers, who had fled persecution and torture and been taken to the UK.
“Jermaine”, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was asked 288 questions on being taken to Liverpool from Heathrow, including being asked to describe his country’s flag, despite knowing no English.
“Marjorie”, from Rwanda, told of how her family were just some of many killed and tortured during the genocide of 1994.
“Olive”, from Uganda, was raped by 30 men in one day; her only “crime” was that her husband had opposed the government. Seriously malnourished, and heavily pregnant with a rape baby, she arrived at Heathrow and a lengthy asylum case ensued.
The performance sought to dispel myths about asylum seekers. The audience heard how the majority of asylum seekers are returned to their original country on their first application, and less than 5 per cent of migrants are asylum seekers. They receive 30 per cent less than the UK income support figure, and are not allowed to work.
An asylum seeker from Zimbabwe then spoke movingly about her experiences when fleeing her home country, her arrival at Heathrow, her time in England, the fact that she is given just a few pounds each week, leaving her virtually destitute, and her time at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre in Bedfordshire. She added that she and others facing the same fate have to take handouts and rely on charity to survive, and desperately want to work but are prevented from doing so by the system.
Before and after the performance, the audience signed Amnesty petitions and learnt more about the work of the St Albans Amnesty International group.
Asylum Monologues is the flagship production of iceandfire’s national outreach project Actors for Human Rights. Made up of over 300 professional actors who are dedicated to drawing public attention to a range of contemporary human rights concerns, Actors for Human Rights performers donate their time and their profile to encourage public acceptance of human rights and to give voice to people whose basic human rights have been violated.
Susan Fakes
The St Albans Amnesty International group meets at 8pm on the second Wednesday of every month (except August) at the Friends Meeting House, 7 Upper Lattimore Road, St Albans, AL1 3UD, and all are welcome. For more details, please call the group’s secretary, Peter Smith on 01727 855931 or peterfsmith40@hotmail.com
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