The IRR has been following the fortunes of extreme-Right and anti-immigration parties in elections across Europe from September 2003-January 2004. In the last five months, the anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party (SPP) has received a massive boost and polls predict significant gains for anti-immigration parties in Denmark and Norway. Far-right political parties in the UK and
Geography: Other
Australia must release the names of the 353 dead!
On 19 October 2001, 146 children, 142 women and 65 men lost their lives when the small, grossly-overloaded Indonesian fishing boat, in which they were travelling, capsized and sank as they sought to flee persecution in their homelands and rebuild their lives in Australia. Since the time of the sinking many questions have been raised
Freedom Rides Again
Once again people are riding in buses across America to protest against a lack of civil rights. This time it is migrant workers drawing attention to their lack of security and freedom in the US. The Immigrant Workers Freedom Rides are the first ‘freedom rides’ the country has seen since the 1960s. The original freedom
Fortress America
As America plunges into a period of imperialist expansion, immigrant communities – particularly of Middle-Eastern and South Asian descent – have been caught in the teeth of a new domestic totalitarianism. Every Friday, a small group of protesters holds a picket outside the New York offices of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) on Manhattan’s
Death at the border – who is to blame?
The EU Border Control Programme, introduced with scant regard to refugee protection and human rights, is leading to an increasing number of deaths on the borders of Europe – and beyond. The measure of desperation Over the last eighteen months, our research has identified 742 people who have died attempting to reach Europe[1]. In order
The other asylum statistics
Governments count the numbers coming in. But who counts the numbers that do not make it? Research by the Institute of Race Relations has found that, in the last 18 months, at least 742 lives have been lost on Europe’s militarised borders. The actual number of deaths is certainly much higher, as only officially verified
Update: far-Right political parties in Europe
In its latest review of the successes and losses of far-Right and anti-immigrant electoral parties in Europe, the Institute of Race Relations notes that extreme-Right immigration and law and order policies are being incorporated into the agenda of mainstream centre-Right parties; extreme-Right electoral parties are appealing increasingly to rural constituencies; and new political parties are
Afghanistan’s never-ending tragedy
Despite the escalating violence and devastation in Afghanistan, European governments aim to forcibly repatriate Afghan asylum seekers. Instead, they should concentrate on the reconstruction of the country, and keeping pledges made to the Afghan people. Tackling refugee issues by introducing tough measures is the preferred approach of the immigration authorities in Europe. Unfortunately they fail
Australia signs refugee deal with Iran – will Europe follow?
The government of Iran has signed a deal with Australia agreeing, for the first time, to accept back rejected asylum seekers. The deal could set a precedent for Europe where there are about 10,000 Iranian asylum seekers, whose claims have been rejected. On 12 March 2003, Phillip Ruddock announced that the Australian government had signed
We will stay here and die say refugees at frontier
A spokesman for 700 Roma refugees stranded on the Macedonian border says they are prepared to die where they are – if refused the right to cross into Greece. Doctors are already warning that, without proper shelter, food, water and medical care, deaths could occur at any time among the refugees which include 270 children,