A 23-year-old disabled asylum seeker is in hospital after the threat of deportation led her to self-harm. Enkeleda Berisha, known as ‘Eda’, suffers with spina bifida (SB), a spinal disease which can result in varying degrees of paralysis of the lower limbs. In addition to the physical and mobility difficulties associated with this illness, most
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A picture of ‘injustice’ in Iranian deportation case
A talented 18-year-old art student and his family are being threatened with deportation to Iran where, protestors argue, they will face torture and imprisonment. They say a picture tells a thousand stories. Behind the publicly acclaimed beauty of 18-year-old Behnam’s paintings lies private turbulence and instability, based on his recognition of an uncertain future. Perhaps
Free service for asylum seekers and refugees
The Apostolic Church of God has opened the doors of its branches in Brixton, Wembley and Shepherds Bush to offer free advice and support to asylum seekers and refugees. It also offers a small Christian fellowship and meal service every Saturday at the Church of St Michael and St George in Shepherds Bush between 1
Family and friends demonstrate outside Plumstead police station
On Saturday 1 April, over 200 people gathered for a demonstration outside Plumstead police station in south-east London, to protest against the death of Nuur Saeed, a young Somali who died during a police raid. On 24 January 2006, 22-year-old Nuur Saeed died in hospital from head injuries. He had been found on the ground
Unions working against racism?
A new pamphlet, co-produced by the Working Lives Research Institute and the TUC, is directed at reinvigorating the anti-racist struggle in the workplace. With Black workers set to make up an increasingly large proportion of the low-paid labour market, the pamphlet argues that Black trade unionists need to hold leading positions, that Black self-organisation needs
Families speak out on control orders
At a recent meeting held at the House of Lords on ‘The nightmare of control orders’, lawyers, family members and supporters spoke about the psychological and emotional damage the orders were inducing. The meeting was organised by the Campaign Against Criminalising Communities and hosted by Lord Rea. Although the meeting was on the issue of
Free healthcare clinics for vulnerable groups in London
A free, confidential drop-in health clinic aimed at vulnerable migrants, women and homeless people has opened in London. Project:London consists of two weekly clinics in east London where patients do not need to bring any proof of identity or status to receive treatment. Each clinic is staffed by a doctor and nurse who can provide
Challenging detention of children
As campaigners across the world prepare for the first ever coordinated international day of action against immigration detention on 8 April, Liz Fekete charts the growing resistance to the detention of asylum-seeking children in Europe. Over the years, European governments have been locking up more and more asylum- seeking children and, in this way, rendering
Crime: driving while Black
A Black man is to sue Dorset police for an alleged racial attack after being sprayed in the face at close range with CS gas in his car – and he has the video footage to prove it. Femi Ijebuode, whose ordeal at the hands of Bournemouth police was shown on Channel 4 News on
Award for ‘Asylum Undercover’
On Wednesday 22 February 2006, the Royal Television Society gave the BBC an award for the best current affairs programme for its brilliant documentary on the detention and deportation of asylum seekers, ‘Asylum Undercover’. ‘Asylum Undercover’ was shown on TV in March 2005 and exposed the abuse, physical and emotional, meted out to asylum seekers