HUMAN RIGHTS activists across Britain will take action today to protest against the much criticised Stansted 15 conviction and the government’s hostile environment policies.

The demonstrations in 18 cities, including Glasgow, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle, fall on International Migrants Day.

Last week, the Stansted 15 protesters, who successfully stopped a charter flight deporting migrants in March 2017, were found guilty of terrorism-related charges.

Over a thousand people protested against their conviction outside the Home Office in London and more than 300 public figures, including shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and Green MP Caroline Lucas, signed an open letter calling for the activists to be spared prison sentences.

Unis Resist Border Controls (URBC) member Sanaz Raji said yesterday that campaigners wanted to highlight “the violence of this country’s immigration policy,” which includes the use of deportation flights and indefinite detention of migrants.

“As a precarious migrant, I am impacted by these dangerous policies,” he said.

“Groups taking part in the national day of action wanted to use our collective voices to give solidarity to the Stansted 15, whose brave actions highlight both the embedded racism of the UK immigration laws and the absurdities of anti-terror laws that are being used to thwart our ability to protest.”

One of the Stansted 15 protesters, Benjamin Smoke, admitted he was devastated by the guilty verdict but was “immediately overwhelmed and humbled by the outpour of support and solidarity.

“But this is about so much more than the Stansted 15. It’s much more about the cruelty of the ‘hostile environment’ policies in the UK that are devastating communities and causing untold misery,” he said.

“On International Migrants Day, we hope that everyone who has supported us so far can take action to end the brutal, secretive and barely legal charter flights and the hostile environment policy of which they are part of.

“When we stand together we are stronger and, together, we will win.”

Protests will be held throughout the day. Glasgow protesters will meet at 6pm at the Buchanan Street Steps and a vigil will be held outside the Home Office in London from 12.30pm.