Outrage greeted French prime minister Sarkozy’s description of the mass expulsion of Roma as ‘voluntary’ – but what is the reality of voluntary return programmes in the UK? The International Organization for Migration (IOM), an intergovernmental body which implements most voluntary return schemes, received around £70 million from the Home Office since 2005 (including money
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Too Black? the case of the Oval 4 revisited
A gripping new autobiographical book has been published on the case of the ‘Oval 4’. The book, Black for a cause … not just because … the case of the ‘Oval 4’ and the story of Black Power in 1970s Britain, written by Winston Trew makes for compelling reading especially where the author describes the
Both class and race
We reproduce a contribution to the debate, about Prospect’s ‘End of multiculturalism’ feature, organised by Soundings a new initiative on the Muslim Council of Britain’s website. The basic points Munira Mirza (and co) make, parroting much of what was said by Prospect editor David Goodhart six years ago, are that racism is no longer the
Who made black history?
A reflection on the impact personal black histories of struggle have made on the movement for racial justice in the UK. In the official account of black British history, there are a number of individuals whose lives and accomplishments have for a long time formed the backbone of black history teaching, their names now synonymous
Learning from the enemy
A report from the Right, making the case for control orders, contains some useful information. The Coalition government is nearing the end of the counter terrorism review, which will decide whether to continue the draconian measures, introduced since 2001, which have so compromised rights such as the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair
Iraqi man murdered in Leipzig
Anti-racists in Germany are asking whether the current attacks on Islam and multiculturalism have led to yet another Islamophobic racist murder. On Sunday 31 October, a 19-year-old Iraqi man, named only as Kamal K. was stabbed to death by two men in Leipzig city centre. On 1 November, on the day that Kamal was buried
Jay Abatan unlawfully killed
The 25 October inquest verdict of unlawful killing of Jay Abatan, killed in an unprovoked attack in January 1999, raises the possibility of new charges. Jay Abatan was attacked after a night out with his brother and a friend in Brighton. He was punched twice and fell to the ground hitting his head and died
David Burgess – an appreciation
David (also known as Sonia) Burgess, an immigration lawyer who died in tragic circumstances on 25 October 2010, will long be remembered for his pioneering work defending the rights of migrants and asylum seekers. The firm he helped to set up in 1975, Winstanley Burgess, soon set the standard for all legal aid immigration practices
Malmo and the fault lines of Swedish racism
What are the wider issues behind the shootings in Malmö? On 19 October, a man the police describe as a 28-year-old ‘man of colour’, was shot from behind near a bus stop in an isolated area in the southern Swedish port city of Malmö. When the bullet was removed, it was found to have missed
Roll call of deaths of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, 2005 onwards
IRR has, since 1989, been recording the deaths of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants – two of the most vulnerable sections of our society – as a result of attempting to enter the UK, self-harm, denial of medical treatment, destitution, hazardous working conditions or racist attacks. Forced by circumstances beyond their control to seek a