Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers, has published a report criticising the continued detention of children at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. The report was based on an announced inspection from 13-16 February 2006 designed to ascertain whether recommendations made following the full inspection in the previous year had been adhered to. Yet despite identifying
Theme: Health
Abiy’s family thank supporters
Abiy was returned to Ethiopia on 29 July and buried the next day by his brother and sister (Zelalem and Antenhe) with dignity in his homeland. (Read an IRR News article on Abiy Fessfha Abebe.) The International Organization for Migration paid the full cost of the return of Abiy’s body to Ethiopia, the £2,045 received
Innocent goes all the way to parliament
Congolese asylum seeker Innocent Nkung has taken his anti-deportation campaign all the way to the Houses of Parliament. On 24 July, Andrew Gwynne MP presented a petition to the House of Commons, with 4,199 signatures showing clear public support for Innocent Nkung’s asylum application. It is his supporters’ firm belief that Innocent would be at
Born on the wrong side
The fascinating autobiography of Cec Thompson, one of the first black Rugby League players in the UK, has been published by BlackAmber, a new imprint of Arcadia Books. I have to confess to neither knowing nor caring about rugby and yet found this a compelling read. It is a ‘rags to riches’ odyssey of a
Parents on hunger strike strengthen calls to end child detention
Parents currently being detained in Yarl’s Wood removal centre have begun a hunger strike in a desperate bid to draw attention to the sufferings of their children. The alarming action, which started at breakfast time this morning, is regarded by the parents as being a drastic, but necessary stage in their campaign to give their
Protest against clampdown on working asylum seekers
Around 150 demonstrators marched through Hull this week to protest against Home Office pressure on local factories to sack Iraqi Kurdish asylum seekers. Iraqi Kurdish asylum seekers have been living in Hull since the beginning of the decade and, although most have had their asylum applications refused, many have built new lives for themselves in
28-day detention comes into force
From this week, anyone arrested under anti-terrorist legislation can be detained for up to 28 days before any charges are brought. Under the Terrorism Act 2006, which was passed in March, police powers of detention have been extended to allow for up to 28 days before a charge is brought. The earlier Terrorism Act 2000
Meeting the needs of refugee children
A new book explores the diverse situations of refugee and asylum-seeking children in the UK – and the hostile reception that very often creates barriers to their educational success. Mahmut is a 12-year-old Kurdish boy. He leads a complicated life. Since arriving in London four years ago, he has lived in five different houses and
Seeds of discontent
One year after the 7/7 terrorist attacks, Tahir Abbas looks at how the marginalisation of Muslims continues to contribute to their radicalisation. One year has now passed since the tragic events of 7 July 2005 in London. For the first time in European history, ‘home-grown’ suicide bombers were implicated in a number of terrorist attacks
‘Defending the defenceless’: churches working on asylum issues
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) has produced a document entitled Asylum Principles: a Statement for Churches Working on Asylum Issues. The group recognises the duty of churches to help those facing social alienation and hardship. Asylum seekers are seen by CTBI as occupying an especially weakened position, as they are being targeted and