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Mail forces charity closure

The only NGO in Britain mandated to fight the corner of asylum seekers facing deportation is due to close in May after a campaign by a far right media group.

The Daily Mail has run a ferocious campaign against NCADC after a 340,000 lottery grant was awarded to the charity, accusing the organisation of supporting asylum seekers linked to terrorism and urging readers to contact the lottery distributor of the Community Fund. The London office of the Community Fund was flooded with hate mail which resulted in an inquiry by the then home secretary, David Blunkett into the application of community funding through the National Lottery. As a result of this hostility from the right-wing press, funders have become reluctant to give grants. For NCADC, who need funding to keep their regional offices open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, it is already almost too late. The North East and Scotland office are now closed, the Northwest office is due to close in March, followed by the complete shutdown of the organisation in May. One client of the charity, who didnt wish to be named, said: 'We need to campaign for NCADC to keep their doors open for those who are suffering under the threat of deportation to where their human rights were severely abused. The work they are doing needs some money and this is very important because they can't achieve their objectives and help refugees and asylum seekers without it. They can't disappear because our lives depend on them. For the past ten years NCADC has provided a back-bone of support for all anti-deportation campaigns across the UK, linking campaigns together, challenging misinformation in the mainstream press, opposing immigration controls and helping to foster 'communities of resistance'. One campaigner said: Please help NCADC stay open. We need to raise 45,000 to keep the Manchester office open and 55,000 to keep the Birmingham office open. It sounds like a lot of money but it is not impossible. There will be a fund-raising meal in April at The Basement social centre in Manchester. We are hoping to put on a gig night and discussing other fundraising ideas. The easiest way to help is to send money, either as a one-off donation or the best would be a standing order. It would take 750 people setting up standing orders for a fiver to keep the Manchester office open. If we cannot raise enough money and NCADC shuts down completely, all the money will go directly to assist the campaigns of people facing deportation. We cannot let the Daily Mail win. Standing order and on-off donation forms can be downloaded from www.ncadc.org.uk/donations/donate.htm For more information on the Basement gig, email simple_things@riseup.net. Discuss the NCADC closure on our forums:

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