Carlson Wagonlit, is a specialist travel agency contracted by the UK Border Agency to arrange the forcible deportation of migrants. Stop Deportation has awarded the company the title of ‘Deportation Profiteer of the Year’. Campaigners from the Stop Deportation Network presented Carlson Wagonlit Travel with the award at its main offices in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
In April 2010, CWT won a government contract to book seats on scheduled and chartered flights for immigration detainees due for deportation. The global booking agency, which specialises in business travel management, has been used by the UKBA to do what campaigners described as a “dirty business” since 2004. In the financial year 2004-5, the contract was worth almost £23million.
An online campaign against the company, called by the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, had already started in the morning, so all office doors were locked and protesters were met with rude and abusive attitudes by some CWT employees.
Having presented the company with the award, protesters went on to leaflet people working in the big office block, including CWT’s employees, during their lunch break. Some of them were shocked to discover that their company does not only deal with smiley business clients. After about two hours, police arrived but protesters had run out of leaflets and were about to leave anyway.
While priding itself on its ‘corporate social responsibility’, with an alleged focus on environmental issues, Carlson Wagonlit is making millions out of flying people to their possible death and torture.
The vast majority of forcible deportations are to countries devastated by wars, armed conflicts, repressive regimes and poverty. Many deportees have been kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured and killed. Many have had to change their identities or move again to avoid persecution. People’s lives are torn apart as they are split from their families and communities here and their right to freedom of movement is denied.
In light of its outstanding achievement in facilitating these crimes, Carlson Wagonlit does deserve to be added to the top of a growing list of deportation profiteers.”
