The futility of indefinite immigration detention is laid bare in a recent report by the London Detainee Support Group (LDSG), No Return No Release No Reason. The report, No Return No Release No Reason, launched in September 2010, updates London Detainee Support Group’s previous report about the UK Border Agency’s (UKBA) detention practices. It focuses
Theme: Health
Full list of deaths during deportations from Europe
We publish a full list of all those who have died during deportation from European countries. There have been fourteen deaths (twelve men and two women) since 1991 during forced deportations. The official cause of death in most cases was positional asphyxia or cardiac arrest. Of the fourteen that died, ten were Africans (of which
Driven to Desperate Measures
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) publishes today a report on deaths of asylum seekers and migrants which damns government policies for putting vulnerable people at risk. On Tuesday, an Angolan asylum seeker died during his deportation. But this is not an isolated case. According to IRR’s report, Driven to Desperate Measures: 2006-2010, forty-four people
Alone and unprotected, taxi drivers fear for their safety
Up and down the country, taxi drivers are bearing the brunt of late-night drinking and aggressive racist behaviour – and are now turning to self-defence. On 5 October 2010, Daniel Miller was handed a twelve month community order from an Exeter court for racially abusing and physically assaulting Hackney carriage driver, Mohammed Numan. Miller had
The Abatans need funds for inquest
Next week, on 11 October, the inquest is due to begin into the death of Jay Abatan, who was murdered eleven years ago in January 1999. Jay’s family have had to fight for an inquest to be held at all. It was thought by the coroner that an inquest was not required as there had
A. Ragunathan 1931-2010
The IRR is very sad to announce the death of one its most stalwart of volunteers, A. Ragunathan, brother of IRR director A. Sivanandan. Until ill-health overtook him, this retired world-renowned marine engineer (who had given of his expertise to ports and docks in thirty-six countries, most of them in the Third World) beat a
Contempt of court threat for ‘terror’ filmmakers
Two British filmmakers, who highlighted the plight of a Jordanian ‘terror suspect’ being detained without trial in the UK, could face legal action. Fred Grace and Gemma Atkinson, of Fat Rat Films, have been told that the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, may be considering contempt of court proceedings against them for interviewing a terror suspect
Accelerated removals
Research from the Institute of Race Relations, including a review of 38 asylum- and immigration-related deaths in Europe over 18 months, shows the human cost of EU moves to slash budgets for refugee integration and accelerate the pace of removals – thereby undermining international conventions. In its report, Accelerated removals: a study of the human
Domestic workers campaign for recognition and protection
IRR News reports on a recent meeting to organise migrant domestic workers. The RESPECT network, the European network supporting the rights of migrant domestic workers, recently held its annual conference in London and a forum to meet colleagues in the British trade union movement, migrant organisations and NGOs working to support migrants’ rights. RESPECT stands
Black History Month 2010
As Black History Month approaches, IRR News provides a round-up of forthcoming events. From Friday 1 October 2010 – Black Britannia: A free photography exhibition by John Ferguson of inspiring black men and women. At Open the Gate, 33-35 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 8BJ. From Friday 1 October 2010 – Ancestral words: Outstanding the