URC THAMES NORTH SYNOD

Geoffrey Duncan, World Church/Church and Society/MIG

WORLD CHURCH/CHURCH & SOCIETY/MISSION INITIATIVES

URGENT REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION AND SUPPORT FOR VITIMISED ASYLUM SEEKER

12th Sept Racial Justice Sunday click here 4 ideas!

Latest newsletter from the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID). It is an excellent round up of all relevant concerns and notices in the Immigration scene at present.

Asylum seekers to have their legal aid axed as Ministry of Justice seeks cuts
Tens of thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers will no longer receive legal aid under Ministry of Justice plans to save millions of pounds each year.
Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke wants an end to the current system whereby asylum seekers whose applications are turned down and immigrants facing deportation orders can repeatedly challenge decisions using state funds. Of the £900million civil legal aid budget, a tenth was spent last year on asylum and immigration cases. Read more: By Paul Bentley,the Telegraph, 17th August 2010

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'Where is the Justice?Ý Inter-ethnic Violence in Southern Kyrgyzstan and its Aftermath Government forces acted, knowingly or unwittingly, to facilitate attacks on ethnic Uzbek neighborhoods in the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010. Local law enforcement agencies also failed to provide appropriate protection to the Uzbek community. The government's investigation into the violence, which left hundreds dead and thousands injured, has been marred with abuses, while new ethnically motivated attacks are taking place in the south.
"It's clear that the massive ethnic violence posed colossal challenges for Kyrgyz security forces," said Ole Solvang, emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch and one of the authors of the report. "Yet we found that some of the security forces became part of the problem rather than the solution." The report is based on more than 200 interviews with Kyrgyz and Uzbek victims and witnesses, lawyers, human rights defenders, government officials, and law enforcement personnel. The report also analyzes satellite imagery and photographic, video, documentary, and forensic evidence. Human Rights Watch,August 16, 2010
Source for this message: Telegraph Human Rights Watch

Dear Friends Please see the report regarding the whistle blower - Louise Perrett - who played a big part in getting an investigation into the UKBA office in Cardiff- you may remember this emerged in 2009. Sent: Monday, August 09, 2010 9:22 PM Subject: 'Whistle blower' Louise Perret-internal UKBA investigation of staff prejudice does not quite deny allegations.....(Well, that's progress, I guess)

I am not sure who led the investigation....it might be the UKBA Inspectorate- John Vine's office.....

Puck

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/08/uk-border-agency-investigation-concerns

UK Border Agency investigation finds cause for 'significant concern'

Whistleblower claimed colleagues expressed anti-immigration views and took pride in refusing asylum applications

Diane Taylor

guardian.co.uk, Sunday 8 August 2010 20.16 BST
Article history

Louise Perrett gave evidence to a Commons select committee over her concerns about the UK Border Agency. Photograph: SWNS.COM/ SWNS

An investigation into claims by a whistleblower that asylum seekers are mistreated, tricked and humiliated by staff working for the UK Border Agency has found cause for "significant concern" and makes several recommendations for change.

The investigation by the agency's professional standards unit, was triggered by a report in the Guardian that revealed the concerns of whistleblower Louise Perrett, a UKBA case owner who worked for three and a half months in the Cardiff office during the summer of 2009. These revelations also led to Perrett giving evidence before the Commons home affairs select committee.

Perrett, 29, said some of her colleagues expressed anti-immigration views and took pride in refusing asylum applications. She said that a toy gorilla nicknamed the "grant monkey" was placed as a badge of shame on the desk of any officer who approved an asylum application. Former child soldiers were forced to lie on the office floor and demonstrate how they shot people in the bush, she said, while a test to determine the authenticity of people who claimed to be from North Korea was to ask them if they ate chop suey.

When she asked advice about the legitimacy of a Congolese woman's asylum claim, a legal official apparently replied: "Umbongo, umbongo, they kill them all in the Congo."

The investigation found that all allegations apart from the toy gorilla could not be substantiated, but acknowledges that the PCS union circulated advice to their members not to cooperate with the investigation.

Identifying a number of areas of concern, the report criticised the asylum team that held the "grant monkey", said that its subsequent removal from the office was correct and that no further action needed to be taken.

Perrett had complained to managers about her concerns but no changes were made. "Concerns that she raised informally were not documented which this report finds disappointing," the report states. "Consideration should be given in the Cardiff office of the procedures to follow and an environment where staff are comfortable raising concerns without fear of criticism from other staff."

Recommendations include considering the introduction of a disciplinary offence for failing to challenge inappropriate behaviour, looking at other ways for staff to challenge this behaviour from colleagues, and a reminder to staff about appropriate tests that can be used to assess the credibility of an applicant's claim.

"This investigation makes me think that UKBA believed my claims all along, but their work was hindered by the PCS," said Perrett. "My reasons for speaking publicly about my experiences of working for this organisation was to effect cultural change within and ensure that those who seek refuge are treated with dignity and respect and are able to make a claim for asylum without prejudice. I hope the training and procedures to be implemented as a result of this investigation will ensure this."

In its response to the investigation, UKBA said: "We believe that this has been a useful exercise for the UK Border Agency and are sure that our agency will be the better for it. We welcome the chance this has given us to have a focused look at ourselves and devise a response accordingly."

Hi Friends The websites on the message below are hot off the press from The Children's Society. I have learned from another source - reliable - that there may not be an announcement about children in detention until November this being after Parliament reassembles. Kind regards Geoff Duncan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8891000/8891441.stm http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/05/children-immigration-centres-deportation-scheme http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/7929526/Families-with-children-facing-deportation-given-two-week-ultimatum-before-removal.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10889362

Vision4Life Praying for those seeking sanctuary from The Revd Janet Lees

Immigration Law Practitioners' Leaflet and Guide to Child Detention - the best write-up yet!!

These few who reached our shores for help face bureaucratic oblivion Guardian 21/06/2010

150 Barristers sign protest letter in support of RMJ

Read the latest Outcry Campaign bulletin here!

Failed Assylum Seekers Red Cross initiative

UKBA Public Consultation Terms of Reference

Assylum Seekrs £10 per week scheme

And another possible template Re: Leave to remain for vulnerable young people and families

Template letter for you to write to Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP re Refugee & Migrant Justice (Please, refer to flier below)

Refugee & Migrant Justie Flier

Read the Destitution Report here

Rose Mujaranji, a 3rd country Zim case living with her only surviving relatives in Norwich. She was released after months in Yarlswood due to our intervention in Sept. last year. Despute powerful psychiatric evidence she was redetained last week, see article in local Norwich paper.http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED17%20May%202010%2015%3A43%3A02%3A303 There have also been BBC local radio and TV-East media reports.... Solicitors are now preparing to intervene again. A Judicial Interview was lodged on her first release but simply ignored and not acted upon by the UKBA. We are now resuming legal action....The SSHD has not responded at all to the fact (s)he HAS discretion on health grounds to depart from Dublin 3rd country rules....... Letters in support to the SSHD and to Damian Green via your local MP would be much appreciated......thank you....

Related material for consideration below:

This is hot off the press today and makes for very unpleasant reading. The United Reformed Church Thames North Synod Church and Society is in the midst of arranging events on Poverty. Hopefully there will be an event on Children Living in Poverty later this year. There are various websites below which have been forwarded by The Children's Society.

The Children's Society’s destitution project featured strongly on both Midlands Today and ITV Central’s main news bulletin’s last night:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj5 7

http://www.itv.com/central-west/destitute-children02468 /

Agency warns that a growing number of UK children are destitute

Ekklesia

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/1219 1

‘Chaotic asylum system’ leaving families destitute warns charity

LocalGov

http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=8893 8

Report reveals number of refugee children falling into destitution on the up

CYP Now

http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Social-Care/1004078/Report-reveals-number-refugee-children-falling-destitution /

Hundreds of children living in poverty in West Midlands, claims charity

Birmingham Mail

http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2010/05/19/hundreds-of-children-living-in-poverty-in-west-midlands-claims-charity-65233-26472919 /

Families left destitute by asylum system

Inside Housing

http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/story.aspx?storycode=650984 9

No Accommodation Network, London Group Hosting Workshop "How to offer hospitality to the strangers within our gates" Praxis, Pott Street, London, E2 0EF 10:00 followed by lunch More details here

WORLD PARTNERS' PAGES

NEW ENVIRONMENT PAGES COMING SOON

CHILD DETENTION - ACT NOW!!!

Geoffrey's Diary and events

2010

Thursday, 21st October Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, Storey’s Gate, London SW1H 9NH Refreshments begin at 5.30pm, meeting begins at 6.00pm. Finish 8.00pm More details here

Tuesday, 23rd November

IMPORTANT DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES. Next Asylum Carer's Evenings at Westminster Abbey- Tuesday 23rd November 2010. I am writing to give you early warning of the next evenings for those who care for Asylum seekers which will be held in Westminster Abbey. Canon Sagovsky hopes as many of you who can will join us. Please forward this email as widely as you can to anyone else who may be interested in attending, as we would like to welcome as many as possible. The details of the evenings are below. I would be grateful if you could confirm whether you are able to attend or not, there is of coarse no charge, we just need to know numbers for the catering of the evening. My contact details are at the bottom of this email.