A new publication from the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) criticises the UK government’s policy of detaining migrant families and examines the negative impacts it has on children. ‘Obstacles to accountability: challenging the immigration detention of families’ is based on BID’s experience of providing free advice and assistance to families with children in detention
Theme: Education
Landmark fight against police racism in Norway
The campaign for a full, independent inquiry into the death in police custody of a 48-year-old Nigerian man last autumn is proving a watershed in the fight against institutionalised racism in Norway. On 7 September 2006, Eugene Ejike Obiora had much to look forward to. It was his son’s twelfth birthday and he wanted to
Medical Justice launch party
The fun was definitely put into fundraising at the launch party of campaigning charity Medical Justice at London nightclub Cargo on 3 July. Featuring a musical line-up good enough to coax even the most uncharitable of folk out on a school night, Cargo’s bare brick arches were filled with hundreds of people dancing to a
Churches tackle migration issues
The Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice has published Migration Principles, a booklet aimed at churches working with migrants and engaging with migration issues in order to guide their practical responses and to contribute to the national debate. Put together by an inter-denominational study group convened by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and edited by
The New Londoners
A new paper circulating in London, The New Londoners, produced by refugees and asylum seekers, provides a strong, alternative voice for these marginalised and often vilified communities. The tabloid-size 24-page newspaper, produced by the Refugee Media Action Group at the Migrants Resource Centre for Refugee Week, is slickly produced with quality pictures and interesting articles
The Blair legacy
As Blair leaves office, he leaves a country more divided – by race, class and status – than he found it. As Tony Blair finally relinquishes power, much has been and will be written about the legacy of his ten years. In the fields of immigration and asylum, as in other fields, his reign presents
‘The Accused’
A powerful and intelligent theatrical experience about migrants and asylum seekers is previewed. Last week, I saw a very inspiring work in progress at the studio space of the Birmingham Rep by Patrice Naimbana, a Sierra Leonean performer/writer/director. The Accused was about migrants/asylum seekers coming to Britain. Alongside the experiences of those coming here, it
Manchester Castaways campaign
The Manchester Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers (MCDAS) and Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST) have launched the Manchester Castaways campaign, calling for a new family amnesty for asylum seekers. The Castaways campaign believes that it is unacceptable that children from asylum-seeking families do not have the same protection of the right to be safe as
More on the Hodge affair
One aspect of the Hodge affair which has not received attention is the fact that Margaret’s husband, Henry, is involved in immigration decision making. Industry minister Margaret Hodge’s proposal for a return to housing policies privileging ‘indigenous’ communities over immigrants has attracted much comment. It has been pointed out, not least by her own constituents
Former jurors welcome SIAC decision
Earlier this week when the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) ruled that Algerian, Moulod Sihali, was not a threat to national security and that he faced the possibility of torture if he was returned to Algeria, jurors from his former trial were amongst those celebrating. Moulod Sihali had been acquitted of charges in the ‘ricin