An International Museum of Slavery will open in Liverpool this week to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade – the first national museum in the world to deal with transatlantic slavery and its legacies. It will open on 23 August, Slavery Remembrance Day 2007, a day that commemorates the uprising
Issue: Briefing Papers - Europe
Help get Alphonsus out of detention
The deportation of Biafran activist Alphonsus Uche Okafor-Mefor to Nigeria has been halted after vigorous campaigning by several groups, including trade unions. Nevertheless, he remains detained at Tinsley House Removal Centre awaiting the outcome of a judicial review of his case. Prior to his detention in the UK, Alphonsus was due to speak at a
Roll call of deaths of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, 1989-2010
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
Tribunal of sacked refugee researcher reconvenes
Rhetta Moran, a researcher into refugee issues at the University of Salford, is about to face her twenty-fourth day of an industrial tribunal against dismissal. Dr Moran has, since Spring 2004, been battling to defend herself and her research against her employer, the University of Salford in Greater Manchester. Her colleagues, students and supporters believe
First death under new community fast-track system
Last Wednesday, on 5 July 2006, a 35-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker, Abiy Fessfha Abebe, was found hanged in accommodation in Liverpool, after recently being told his asylum claim had been refused. His death is the 25th such death of an asylum seeker in the last five years. Other asylum seekers who were housed at the
Bradford riots
An important new drama by Neil Biswas, to be broadcast on Channel 4 next week, shows how the lives of members of the Pakistani community of Mannigham were defined and destroyed by the Bradford riots of July 2001. The riots were the worst outbreak of street violence on mainland Britain in a generation and involved
‘My life doesn’t belong to me anymore’
Innocent Nkung, a 35-year-old asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), suffered such homophobic and political persecution that he had to flee the DRC and is now fighting to stay in the UK after his asylum claim was refused. Innocent, who has a background in campaigning on human rights issues had been arrested
Flores hands in petition to Home Office
19-year-old campaigner Flores Sukula, of Bolton, went to the Home Office in London this week to hand in a petition of 2,500 signatures in support of her family’s anti-deportation campaign. Five of the Sukula family’s six children – including an eleven-month-old baby – face being taken into care as a result of support being withdrawn
Digital Diaries – the right to stay
A series of short online videos by Manchester-based groups tells the ‘untold stories behind the political and media hype’ surrounding asylum seekers. Asylum seekers, the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC), the Basement café, Community Arts North West and No Borders Manchester have joined forces for this project that focuses on asylum seekers in the
Victim of racist attack facing charges
Campaigners are calling for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to drop charges of assault and affray against Eileen Jia, whose partner, Mi Gao Huang Chen, was attacked and murdered by a gang of youths after facing a sustained campaign of racism at their Chinese restaurant in Wigan. On 23 April 2005, Mi Gao Huang