David Blunkett’s anti-terrorist measures were thrown into disarray this morning as the highest court in the land ruled that the indefinite detention of foreign nationals under the 2001 Terror Act was incompatible with human rights. Lord Bingham of Cornhill said that ‘the measures unjustifiably discriminate against foreign nationals on the ground of their nationality or
Caring for Minority Ethnic elders in Europe
The rapid ageing of Europe’s population has become Europe’s number one issue according to an MEP speaking, on 9 December 2004, at the launch of the Summary Findings from the Minority Elderly Care (MEC) project. The research revealed some shocking facts, including: Thirty-five per cent of elders surveyed in the UK are in poor, or
Do you have a vision to change the world?
To celebrate the centenary of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT), the organisation has set up a new scheme to find ‘six visionaries’, who can work towards making ‘the world – or part of it – more just and more peaceful’ The ‘Visionaries for a Just and Peaceful World’ will need to have a ‘big
Report finds no contradiction in being British and Muslim
A new report published by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, based on a survey of more than 1,000 British Muslims, has found that there is little or no trade-off between being a good British citizen and having Islamic values. The report, entitled Dual citizenship: British, Islamic or both?, examines British Muslims’ feelings of loyalty and
Fighting racism in football – the way forward
It is time that Black football players take the initiative against racism in the game, says Lord Herman Ouseley, Chairman of Kick It Out, in an interview with IRR News. IRR News: Why do you think the incident with Spanish fans happened at Bernabeu last month? Was it because of Aragones’ earlier comment about Thierry
Did delay in treatment contribute to the death of a Turkish asylum seeker?
The family of Elmas Ozmico, a Turkish asylum seeker, believe that earlier medical intervention might have saved her life. This is one of the questions the family desperately want answered at the inquest into her death. On 8 July 2003, a Turkish woman, 40-year-old Elmas Ozmico with her two children aged eight and nine and
The grim fate that awaits those deported to Congo
In an interview with IRR News, Congolese human rights activist René Kabala Mushiya alleges that asylum seekers deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) face prison and death. The plane lands at Ndjili airport, Kinshasa, in the dead of night – the better to avoid monitoring by journalists and human rights activists. Then the
Church group launches Racial Justice fund
The Churches for Britain and Ireland have rebranded their fund for community projects and rededicated their commitment to racial justice. It may not be unusual for bishops to frequent the old and vaulted rooms of the Houses of Parliament but it is unusual for young black children from a Tottenham estate. But the launch of
Removals to Zimbabwe will put many at risk
The resumption of removals to Zimbabwe reflects a changing political climate in Britain rather than any lessening in the merits of Zimbabwean asylum claims. The government announced on 16 November 2004 that it was lifting the suspension on returns to Zimbabwe. Its spokesman said that ‘we suspended temporarily all enforced returns to Zimbabwe in 2002
The fight for community begins in Leicester
The threatened Council take-over of a Leicester community centre illustrates the contradictions in the government’s ‘community cohesion’ agenda. The withdrawal of funds from the hugely successful Highfields Youth and Community Centre (HYCC), in inner-city Leicester, has become the focus for a strong local campaign aimed at challenging the whole approach of the City Council and