Month: June 2023

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Horrific levels of violence and racism among immigration staff as suspensions double

Mirror: EXCLUSIVE:  Horrific levels of violence and racism among immigration staff as suspensions double

Exclusive figures obtained by the Sunday Mirror have shown a sharp rise in the number of immigration staff who are being investigated, suspended and losing their jobs.

The number of immigration custody staff suspended last year doubled, an investigation by the Sunday Mirror and Liberty investigates has found.

One officer repeatedly kneed a detainee in the head and told a concerned colleague “there are no cameras”, according to a staff report.

Another allegedly used “unlawful” force by kicking a self-harming 14-year-old boy who had crossed the channel from France.

Documents from disciplinary cases obtained by FOI reveal a sharp rise in the number of staff investigated over whether they were “fit and proper” to detain and deport migrants, including vulnerable asylum seekers.

They show 102 staff were suspended between January 2020 and mid-February 2023 – including 49 last year and seven in the first six weeks of 2023.

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ICIBI Inspection Plan 2023 – 24

4 April 2023: ICIBI: Please note the ICIBI’s intended inspection regime for the coming year: 2023-24

This includes Rwanda ‘Country of Origin’ information that guides the Home Office staff in decision-making, trafficking, contingency accommodation, treatment of people arriving by small boats, age assessments, and adults at risk in detention

Updates will appear below.

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Greek migrant boat tragedy

18 June 2023: The Observer view on the Greek migrant boat tragedy: the west must admit responsibility

Observer editorial

Horrors at sea will continue until the west faces up to its responsibilities and recognises its part in the plight of refugees

The nationalities of the several hundred people assumed to have drowned in the latest, terrible migrant boat tragedy in the Mediterranean help explain why they attempted so perilous a journey. Pakistanis, Egyptians, Syrians, Afghans and Palestinians reportedly comprised most of the approximately 750 passengers crammed on to the unseaworthy vessel that set off from Tobruk in Libya and sank 50 miles off the coast of Greece last Wednesday.

The list of countries of origin is an index of pain, for which the EU, Britain and their allies bear much responsibility. The west’s failure to stop the Syrian regime’s war on its people led to the 2015-16 migrant crisis, when hundreds of thousands of Syrians sought safety in Europe. Although fighting has subsided, many, including Palestinians living in desperate conditions in camps in the war-torn country, still flee persecution by a vengeful regime, or are quitting an increasingly unaccommodating Turkey.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/17/the-observer-view-on-the-greek-migrant-boat-tragedy-the-west-must-admit-responsibility

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Some Refugee Week events 2023

Refugee Week 2023: 19-25 June on the theme:

Read more here: https://refugeeweek.org.uk/events

19 June 2023 6-8pm London: Migrant Voice: London film screening: “MATAR” and “AYMAN”

Migrant Voice - London film screening: "MATAR" and "AYMAN"

To mark Refugee Week, Migrant Voice and the University of Westminster are hosting an evening of award-winning film and discussion on 19 June at the University’s Regent Street campus. We will screen two powerful short films, MATAR and AYMAN, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

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ILPA’s Response to the ICIBI’s Call for Evidence: An Inspection of Asylum Casework

12 June 2023: Immigration Law Practitioners Association – ILPA: Date published: 12 June 2023

With many thanks to all members who contributed to this written evidence, ILPA’s Response to the ICIBI’s Call for Evidence: An Inspection of Asylum Casework 2023 can be read below. [Document Date: Friday June 9, 2023]

The response is here: ILPA’s Response to the ICIBI Call for Evidence: An Inspection of Asylum Casework 2023 (9 June 2023)

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Campaigner slams institutional racism of Britain’s asylum system

12 June 2023: Morning Star: BFAWU Conference 2023: Campaigner slams institutional racism of Britain’s asylum system

BRITAIN’S deliberately hostile asylum system is institutionally racist and designed to keep people down, a former claimant forced to navigate it warned today.

Loraine Masiya Mponela, who spent years in the system before finally winning settled status last year, said she could testify to the pain and suffering it causes.

She is part of the Status Now 4 All campaign, which wants ministers to grant every “undocumented, destitute migrant indefinite leave to remain so every human can access the same resources as everyone else.”

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