- Hornela: the campaign that might have been
- Guardianship scheme helps lone young asylum seekers rebuild their lives
- Asylum seeker housing managed by for-profit prison guards? Why not
- Campaign updates
- News round up
- Europe: Border fence. Map of asylum centres
- International: Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan
- Legal Updates: Fast Track. Detention. Marriages
- NoBorders Convergence
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Hornela: the campaign that might have been
On 1st February we sent out an urgent campaign alert for Hornela Finda, the young woman from Angola who arrived five years ago as an unaccompanied child, who was refused protection and was facing forced removal. You will have seen it if you subscribe to our campaign alerts.
The response was overwhelming - so many people contacted the Home Secretary and Portuguese airline TAP to demand a stay on the removal. Sadly, Hornela was forcibly returned.
We were in contact with Hornela by phone to the end, even as she sat on the plane. Hornela told the flight attendants that she was being taken against her will, that her father was in the UK, that she had nothing to return to in Angola, that she was afraid. But they said there was nothing they could do. This wasn’t true. It was within their power to ask the security guards to remove her from the plane, as many others have done in recent months.
Hornela was frightened and exhausted. It was too much for her to make much fuss. And she was surrounded by FIVE private security guards from Reliance, three men and two women. In her Glasgow accent she said “and I’m just a wee girl”.
We told Hornela that so many people were backing her - from NCADC supporters to her social workers and their colleagues to her MP. She was heartened by this news, but as the day and evening wore on she became quieter.
We are convinced that Hornela, like many people deported from the UK, had a good legal and humanitarian case for asylum. But like so many she has been let down by a lack of quality, early legal representation, and a detention system that meant that the solicitor who took over had very little chance of gathering the evidence to halt the removal in such a short space of time.
We also believe that Hornela’s story had all the makings of a solid community campaign, if only she had began it earlier. But we cannot blame people like Hornela for leaving it to the end, once in detention when the route to legal justice became so obviously blocked. It’s hard, especially for a vulnerable young care-leaver, to contemplate going public, asking for the help and solidarity of friends and strangers.
There are lessons which this upsetting case reinforces. We can’t have faith in the legal system: even with the best solicitors a case can fail, so people need to be prepared for that. And that although these emergency call-outs are important, and can succeed in stopping a flight, a campaign is far more likely to win if it’s started earlier, right at the start of the process if possible.
A lot of the work we do at NCADC is behind the scenes, advising individuals and groups on their rights, and the various avenues open to them. Sometimes we need to call upon your help in an emergency, and yesterday you responded. It didn’t succeed, but we tried. We will keep on trying, together, and sometimes we will win.
Our sincere thanks go out to everyone who raised their voice for Hornela, and to all those who are fighting, in so many ways, for justice.
Guardianship scheme helps lone young asylum seekers rebuild their lives
From Scottish Refugee Council, 9 February
This week Scottish Refugee Council held an event to launch a report into their innovative Guardianship Service.
An estimated four separated children or young people arrive in Scotland each month from countries outside of Europe, including Afghanistan, Nigeria and Gambia. They are often fleeing persecution or violence, and one or both of their parents may be dead. Others have fallen victim to child traffickers. Currently, the youngest child is 14 years old, although the majority are between 16-17 years old.
The Scottish Guardianship Service has supported almost 90 traumatised young people seeking asylum, helping them to take control and rebuild their lives.
The 30-month long pilot service - delivered by Scottish Refugee Council and Aberlour Childcare Trust - provides each asylum seeker child arriving alone from outside of Europe with a Guardian who will act as an independent advocate as they make their way through the complex and often harrowing asylum process.
An independent evaluation of the service has illustrated an increase in the number of young people – 34% compared with 25% the previous year - being granted refugee status. More work will be done in the coming year to look at the role of Guardianship in this increase.
Download the report here (pdf)
Kathleen Marshall, Chair of the Scottish Guardianship Service Project Advisory Board, said: “These are young people who arrive not knowing who they can trust. They have perhaps been forced into cover stories by those who have brought them here, they are afraid extremely cautious about revealing anything that might put them in danger” She added: “What they really value is someone who is willing to go the extra mile, to show that they are really deserving of their trust. It is this sort of person that they might open up to”.
Asylum seeker housing managed by for-profit prison guards? Why not
John Grayson, of South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action group (SYMAAG), writes at OpenDemocracy about the planned takeover by a ‘private security army’ of housing for asylum seekers - and of the resistance network building up.
The government’s ‘preferred bidders’ for contracts to house vulnerable asylum seekers are Reliance Security and two multinational security companies — G4S and Serco — best known for immigration prisons, forcible deportations and failings in their duty of care to vulnerable people.
Asylum seekers and their advocates fear a further advance in the UK government’s punitive policies towards asylum seekers. The potential housing managers are now being given ‘due diligence checks’ before final contracts are signed at the end of February. There is still time for the contracts to be scrapped by effective campaigns at a local and regional level.
Campaigners have met UKBA in Sheffield and have been assured that the ‘due diligence’ process is a rigorous one and submissions are welcome as part of the process. For the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber region this is the email contact at COMPASS, the UKBA’s procurement arm. Twenty eight university researchers and teachers ? in the fields of housing and immigration across Yorkshire universities have signed a letter protesting the notion that G4S should become a landlord for asylum seekers and their families.
In Sheffield, home to Vulcan House, the UKBA regional centre a short march from the Town Hall, local and regional protest rallies and demonstrations are planned on the 15 February and 1 March.
Campaign updates
Gracia Kabambi: in need of support again
For the fourth time, Gracia Kabambi, a twenty year old woman from DR Congo, has been issued with removal directions. On the last two attempts, actions by NCADC supporters stopped the flight. UKBA are now desperately trying to remove Gracia, and we must unite once more and stop this.
Kenya Airways refused to take Gracia, as did Ethiopia Airways, and now its time to turn our attention to Air France. Gracia’s removal directions are for 17 February, on Air France flight AF2581 (18:00). Gracia’s has twice been taken to the airport and been saved at the last minute. The flights have been stopped by the efforts of her supporters and are a brilliant success, but these experiences are taking their toll on Gracia.
Gracia says: ‘It’s so stressful! I’ve lost so much weight … thank you so much for your efforts, God bless you’.
Gracia’s 91 page fresh claim was rejected by UKBA just 3 days after they received. It is hard to believe it has been given proper consideration, and her solicitor is seeking to challenge this. But her solicitor needs time - and stopping the Air France flight will buy that vital time.
See here for details of how you can support Gracia’s campaign
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Petition calls for suspension of removals to DR Congo
HM Government e-petition. Responsible department: Home Office
Refused asylum seekers at risk on return to the Democratic Republic of Congo
Stop the torture of vulnerable Congolese asylum seekers now. The report ‘Unsafe return’ has documented that refused asylum seekers removed to the DRC are at risk of: - interrogation at the airport - arbitrary detention - being denied access to lawyers - torture and rape in detention It also documents the detention and ill treatment of children removed with parents and cases where returnees have successfully left the airport without harm but have been arrested at home later or been forced into hiding or exile. The Petition seeks to question: a)The adequacy of systems in place to monitor what happens to refused asylum seekers; b)The Home Office evidence for maintaining that the refused asylum seekers are not at risk. This petition calls for the suspension of removals until there has been a full inquiry into the safety of failed asylum seekers on return, in order to prevent future ill-treatment of vulnerable Congolese asylum seekers.
What are e-petitions?
e-petitions is an easy way for you to influence government policy in the UK. You can create an e-petition about anything that the government is responsible for and if it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.
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Yidnek Haile: a big thank you
In December we helped launch a campaign for Yidnek, a 31-year old student at the University of Manchester, facing deportation to Ethiopia.
The flight was stopped, and this week Yidnek got in touch with the good news that he is out of detention and back at University
Dear all,
I am glad to inform you that I am released on bail on 6th of Feb, 2012 and back to the University.
The case is still on progress. Without your endless effort and support, this wouldn’t have been possible. My special thanks goes to my incredible “beyond tutor”, Prof. Richard Heeks.
Although it is difficult to list all who had helped, I also would like to give a bloody thanks to: UMSU and NUS, my course mates and other friends, The International Society, Student Service/International Advice Team, Refugee Action Manchester, Publicity and Press offices, Rogerson Galvin Solicitors, Pam McLean of Dadamac, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church community, National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, my frequent in detention visitors Liz and Pauline, GHT, Morton Hall IRC staffs and Health Care Centre, Methodist International House, all who campaigned from the UK and abroad, and all other Manchester University community members.
Regards,
Yidnek Haile
News round up
Confronting prejudice with charm: migrants in the UK OpenDemocracy, Nazek Ramadan, 7 February
The second edition of the free newspaper Migrant Voice will be published this week.
“We know it’s not easy to confront the tabloid press. We know we’ve taken on a huge challenge; we may make it; we may not. But as migrants, we must deal with it”. This is why 100,000 copies of a free newspaper written by migrants will be distributed across the UK this week, says the paper’s editor Nazek Ramadan
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Derelict working men’s pub could soon reopen its doors – as a home for destitute asylum seekers The Independent, Joshua Carroll, 4 February
A derelict pub once popular with Salford’s working men, who gathered at its bar to enjoy a pint of ale and a game of darts, could soon open its doors to destitute asylum seekers. Volunteers will gut and refurbish the building, which sits under a railway bridge and opposite a modern apartment block, as a shelter for those who have been through the asylum system and denied permission to stay in the country.
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Leveson inquiry submission – reporting immigration and immigrants. JCWI Blog, 8 February
Also at JCWI Blog this week: Exploding myths – the link between youth unemployment and immigration
Europe: Greece begins construction of border fence
Greece has started construction of a 12.6-km-long razor-wire-topped fence designed to keep out migrants, but described as “pointless” by the European Commission. NGOs fear that fencing off the land border will divert refugees - such as families fleeing violence in Afghanistan and Syria - to more dangerous routes in the western Balkans or Ukraine.
“It would be a tragedy if this actually worked as it would prevent refugees from seeking protection and this would constitute a violation of their human rights,” Allen Leas, the head of the Brussels-based European Council on Refugees and Exiles said.
International: Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan
Iraq: 65 Executions in First 40 Days of 2012 Human Rights Watch, 9 February
Iraqi authorities should halt all executions and abolish the death penalty, Human Rights Watch said today. Since the beginning of 2012, Iraq has executed at least 65 prisoners, 51 of them in January, and 14 more on February 8, for various offenses. “The Iraqi government seems to have given state executioners the green light to execute at will,”said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The government needs to declare an immediate moratorium on all executions and begin an overhaul of its flawed criminal justice system.”
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Iran: Arrest sweeps target Arab minority Human Rights Watch 7 February
Iranian security forces arrested more than 65 Arab residents during security sweeps in Iran’s Arab-majority Khuzestan province since late 2011 according to local activists. The Iranian government should immediately charge or release those arrested. Authorities should also investigate reports by local activists that two detainees have died in Intelligence Ministry detention facilities in the past week.
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Debt traps former Afghan refugees in poor work conditions AlertNet, 8 February
Thousands of former refugee children and adults working in brick kilns in Afghanistan need immediate humanitarian aid and long-term development strategies to lift them out of a generational cycle of debt, poverty and dependency, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Legal Updates: Fast Track. Detention. Marriages
France: European Court of Human Rights condemns faulty (fast track) asylum procedureHuman Rights Watch
The European Court condemned the lack of a suspensive appeal in the “priority” procedure which allows asylum seekers to be returned to their countries of origin before their fears of persecution have been fully examined, finding it incompatible with its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. In 2011, one-fourth of all asylum applications were examined under this accelerated procedure.
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Indefinite detention: not very British UK Human Rights Blog, guest post by Freemovement, 8 February
‘Human Rights Act to blame!’ is a frequent refrain in the media, as well reported on this blog. Often, though, the outcome that has attracted media ire is not one that has much to do with the Human Rights Act at all. The decision to release Abu Qatada on bail is one such example.
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New case law on marriages Freemovement blog, 7 February
Several important new cases have just emerged on the subject of marriage and the immigration rules for spouses. They all deal with the evidence and burden of proof in such cases.
NoBorders Convergence
NoBorders Convergence 2012
London: 13 - 18 February
London NoBorders, along with Goldsmiths students and other groups, are organising a week-long convergence to be held in London between 13 - 18 February 2012. The aim is to get together to share our knowledge and experiences in relation to people’s freedom of movement and the restrictions on it, and to share skills, network, strategise and take action.
From Monday 13th to Wednesday 15th there will be a series of workshops and seminars, at Goldsmiths University in New Cross, south east London. Then from Thursday 16th to Saturday 18th there will be demonstrations and actions against migration controls, concluding with the NoBorders Carnival at midday on the Saturday.
Accommodation for those outside of London will be provided in people’s homes. If you need accommodation please contact us in advance if possible.