Important legal judgments – Zimbabwe/behaviour on return and Afghanistan/children

Supreme Court says no lies to achieve safety Free Movement blog, 25 July 2012

In the case of RT (Zimbabwe) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] UKSC 38 the Supreme Court has today held that asylum seekers cannot be expected to lie or dissemble in order to achieve safety in their own country. This principle applies equally to a committed political activist and to a person with no politician convictions: neither can be expected to lie. Continue reading “Important legal judgments – Zimbabwe/behaviour on return and Afghanistan/children”

Lord Ramsbotham, former chief inspector of prisons, attacks ‘perverse’ decision not to prosecute G4S over Mubenga death

A terrible day for the UK Border Agency, as Peers describe its culture of disbelief, its abuse of torture victims, the denial of legal representation, dawn raids on pregnant mothers, the perils of outsourcing, ‘loutish and aggressive’ behaviour, deaths by G4S, and that’s not all . . .

The UK Border Agency’s long, punitive campaign against children

CLARE SAMBROOK , 16 July 2012: The appalling Rochdale sexual abuse scandal prompted long-overdue scrutiny of our children’s homes. Another national disgrace ripe for exposure is the UK Border Agency’s serial and repugnant oppression and abuse of vulnerable children over more than a decade. Today OurKingdom publishes Clare Sambrook’s exposĂ© of the Border Agency’s abuse of children and its relentless misrepresentation of evidence of harm. We call upon Parliament to hold ministers, the Home Office and its ugly agency to account. (The material that follows is distressing.) Continue reading “The UK Border Agency’s long, punitive campaign against children”

G4S teaches UK Border Agency how to care for children

It’s no joke — the world’s biggest security company is training immigration staff in “Keeping Children Safe”.

The world’s biggest security company, G4S, has been paid to train thousands of UK Border Agency staff in “Keeping Children Safe” and continues to do so despite its own record of harming people in its care, and its apparent lack of any formal accreditation in such training.

The Home Office has confirmed to OurKingdom that G4S has trained some 7,800 UK Border Agency staff in safeguarding children — “particularly within the Border Force who may come into contact with children entering and leaving the country”.

The children may have been trafficked, sexually exploited, be facing removal from Britain or they may be incarcerated in two government detention facilities run for profit by G4S — Tinsley House at Gatwick Airport and Cedars in the Sussex village of Pease Pottage.

The Border Agency’s cosy arrangement with its favourite commercial contractor appears to have escaped the notice of its so-called Independent Family Returns Panel, which is supposed to advise on children’s welfare under the Coalition Government’s new child detention arrangements, and the Home Affairs Committee, whose duties include scrutinising Border Agency performance. Children’s charity Barnardo’s, which works alongside G4S at the Cedars family lock-up, and has vowed to “speak out” and even withdraw their services “if policy and practice fall short of safeguarding the welfare, dignity and respect of families”, has failed to blow the whistle on this unorthodox arrangement. Continue reading “G4S teaches UK Border Agency how to care for children”

Hundreds of miscarriage of justice claims – immigration related offences

Hundreds of miscarriage of justice claims over legal advice failings: Thursday 14 June 2012 by Eduardo Reyes

Hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees convicted of immigration-related offences such as failure to produce a passport may have been the victims of miscarriages of justice, the Gazette can reveal. Continue reading “Hundreds of miscarriage of justice claims – immigration related offences”

Serco shackling detainee for 8 days

FGP case – High Court judgement finds Serco shackling detainee for 8 days breached Art 3 – 05/07/12 FPG was restrained and attached to security staff at all times, 24/7, during nearly 9 days hospiatlisation. This included while showering and using the toilet, as well as during medical consultations and treatment and while asleep. There was nothing in FGP’s history to suggest he would abscond from custody. The high court judge found that Serco, the private company that runs Colnbrook, acted in violation of the detainee’s right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The judgement notes that “… nor were there any requests from medical staff to remove restrains”. Dr Jonathan Fluxman, chair of Medical Justice, a charity that is contacted by about 1,000 immigration detainees a year, said ; “This is far from an isolated incident – we regularly receive similar complaints from detainees. Something appears to have gone badly wrong when hospital staff remained passive over a patient in their care who was needlessly shackled over a continuous period of 8 days. A High Court judge found this to be inhuman and degrading treatment; it also flies in the face of basic rights for all patients. We would interested to hear what Hillingdon Hospital have to say about this matter.”. Download the judgement and see the summary by Liberty. Continue reading “Serco shackling detainee for 8 days”

One week to act: Family immigration rule changes

For more information and actions: 

http://diaspora-newcitizens.nationbuilder.com/family  – sign the petition
http://www.jcwi.org.uk/blog/2012/06/18/next-steps-against-family-immigration-rule-changes 

http://www.freemovement.org.uk/2012/06/13/new-statement-of-intent-on-family-migration

http://www.migrantsrights.org.uk/blog/2012/06/parliament-has-just-had-debate-family-migration-rules-now-it-s-time-make-your-voice-hea:What you can do!

Continue reading “One week to act: Family immigration rule changes”

The UK is making Family Reunions almost impossible

Dear friends of a diverse and culturally rich Britain ,

The Government  has long  trumpeted  its intent to reduce immigration figures
..hoping to please a public fearful of economic  recession
..

So the Home Secretary Theresa May made a statement  to Parliament on  13/06/2012, setting out new Regulations on  blocking  family reunion for anyone from both Europe and worldwide. Continue reading “The UK is making Family Reunions almost impossible”