UK must drastically reduce use of detention, says Shaw immigration report
An independent review into the welfare of immigration detainees commissioned by the home secretary has called for ministers to reduce "boldly and without delay" the 30,000 people detained each year.
The report by Stephen Shaw, the former prisons and probation ombudsman, calls for a complete ban on the detention of pregnant women in immigration centres such as Yarl's Wood. He says there should also be a "presumption against detention" of victims of rape and sexual violence, people with learning difficulties, and those with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The six-month review was commissioned by the home secretary, Theresa May, after years of criticism about the treatment of immigration detainees including incidents of deaths, self-harm and sexual abuse in Britain's 10 immigration removal centres.
May tried to exclude any consideration of introducing a statutory time limit on the use of immigration detention, but Shaw makes clear his belief that the numbers should be reduced "both for reasons of welfare and to deliver better use of public money".
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http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/14/uk-must-reduce-detention-shaw-immigration-report
There's no justification for curbing EU migration, but low-pay business models have exploited it
Migrants Rights Network doesn't expect to be getting involved in the big questions of whether the EU overall has been good or bad for Britain, but we will be setting out our views on one issue that many think lie at the heart of this vexatious question: the right to freedom of movement.
Free movement of capital, goods, services and labour
The many and various treaties which have defined the European project since the 1950s onwards have all converged on the idea that a continent made up of nations working in partnership with one another could only be constructed around the principle of the free movement of the factors of economic production – capital, goods, services and labour. No country that joined in with any aspect of the endeavours to create an economic community that would allow this flow of productive activity could ever have been in any doubt that they were signing up to a process that had the goal of complete freedom of movement as its objective.
How has free movement worked out for us all? There are actually plenty of reasons for being disgruntled about the way the logic of the economic community has segued into the single market of the Maastricht Treaty, and after that into the peculiar beast which increasingly has the Eurozone as its central area of concern. Europe is clearly an unhappy place at this point in time and the consensus right across the political spectrum is that it is in much need of reform.
Trangender equality report was a 'missed opportunity for trans asylum seekers'
Yesterday's Transgender Equality report, published by the Women and Equality Select Committee, made over 30 reccomendations to improve the lives of transgender people in the UK. However, the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group say it's a 'missed oportunity' to talk about trans asylum seekers.
While the report was being put together, the UKLGIG testified that the needs of transgender refugees are often overlooked, stating that the Home Office fails to ensure that transgender asylum seekers are treated with respect and dignity.
Adam, a transgender asylum seeker, told the inquiry that he was refused asylum three times. He explained: "When I was interviewed, the Home Office's interpreter told the official, 'This is one of the strangest interviews I've ever done.' The Home Office refused to believe that I am trans, they treated me like a liar. They continuously referred to me as a woman. I felt like they were attacking me."
Responding to the report, Paul Dillane, executive director of the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group said: "While we sincerely hope the UK Government will implement these recommendations and act to ensure equality for trans people, we are disappointed that the vital needs of trans asylum seekers have been excluded.
"Trans asylum seekers are a highly marginalised and vulnerable group and their exclusion is a missed opportunity. Should not the vital needs of trans people fleeing human rights abuses and life threatening persecution be acknowledged? Should they not be protected in accordance with the law and treated with dignity and respect?
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UK asylum-seekers: Red doors 'mark' us as abuse targets
LONDON (AP) — Britain ordered an investigation Wednesday into alleged discrimination against asylum-seekers amid reports that many homes being given them have red front doors that mark them out for abuse.
The Home Office is launching an inquiry after an investigation by the Times newspaper found that most public housing for asylum-seekers from Syria and Eastern Europe in the northeastern English town of Middlesbrough — one of the poorest in England — had red front doors.
The report quotes asylum-seekers in the town as complaining that the distinctive paint singles them out as easy targets of vandalism and racial abuse. Some were quoted as saying that eggs and rocks have been thrown at their houses.
The security firm G4S and its subcontractor Jomast, which are paid by the government to provide housing for asylum-seekers, deny they have a discriminatory policy. They said most of Jomast's housing stock do feature red doors but that applies to both private and asylum housing.
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How immigration has changed the world – for the better
Is immigration good or bad? Some argue that immigrants flood across borders, steal jobs, are a burden on taxpayers and threaten indigenous culture. Others say the opposite: that immigration boosts economic growth, meets skill shortages, and helps create a more dynamic society.
Evidence clearly shows that immigrants provide significant economic benefits. However, there are local and short-term economic and social costs. As with debates on trade, where protectionist instincts tend to overwhelm the longer term need for more open societies, the core role that immigrants play in economic development is often overwhelmed by defensive measures to keep immigrants out. A solution needs to be found through policies that allow the benefits to compensate for the losses.
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http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/how-immigration-has-changed-the-world-for-the-better
Posted by: migrant Cause <migrantcause@gmail.com>
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