G4S owes thousands of pounds on energy bills
JOHN GRAYSON 13 November 2013
It’s Britain’s leading meter-reader. But in the homes it provides for asylum seekers, outsourcing giant G4S leaves energy bills unpaid.
When I visited an asylum seeker called Esther and her five year old daughter in their Yorkshire home the other day I counted eight unopened bills for energy and water. Continue reading “G4S owes thousands of pounds on energy bills”
The Home Office and its duty of care towards people in detention – a huge question mark
: The Home Office and its duty of care towards people in detention – a huge question mark 30 October 2013
In the latest of a series of fires in UK Immigration Removal Centres, two people from Campsfield House in Kidlington, near Oxford, have been hospitalised. The Detention Forum is concerned that the Home Office may be failing to discharge its duty of care towards people held in Immigration Removal Centres across the UK. Continue reading “The Home Office and its duty of care towards people in detention – a huge question mark”
Yarl’s Wood sex inquiry witness to be deported without speaking to police
Crucial figure in immigration centre probe held hours before appointment with investigators: The only witness to an alleged case of sexual misconduct at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre is to be deported, without being given the opportunity to testify to police.
Sirah Jeng was detained on Thursday inside the centre, hours before a scheduled interview with police. Jeng alleges she witnessed a male Serco employee having sexual contact with a detainee.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/02/witness-yarls-wood-sex-investigation
New report examines asylum applications made by unaccompanied children
31 October 2013: EIN
The Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has published a new report looking at the handling of asylum applications made by unaccompanied children.
You can read the report here.
We recommend that the Home Office:
1. Applies the law consistently and correctly to children’s asylum claims regardless of where they
are considered.
2. Ensures that it meets its legal obligation regarding family tracing and retains a record of the
steps it has taken.
3. Decides children’s asylum claims in a timely manner regardless of where they are considered.
4. Ensures that new performance targets for children’s asylum cases are realistic, evidence-based
and comply with the Immigration Rules.
5. Develops validated statistics for all cases where asylum applicants claim to be unaccompanied
children.
6. Establishes a systematic and comprehensive monitoring system to ensure the timeliness and
quality of recorded data.
7. Improves the quality of refusal letters by ensuring that they are logical, concise and tailored to
the applicant.
8. Adopts a clear and consistent approach to the initial interview with asylum-seeking children,
while continuing to take account of individual needs.
9. Refers all unaccompanied children who apply for asylum to the Refugee Council within the
agreed timing, and keeps accurate records of notification. Continue reading “New report examines asylum applications made by unaccompanied children”