Home Office to introduce scientific methods for assessing the age of asylum seekers – Home Office

Posted January 7th, 2022 in asylum, children, government departments, immigration, news by sally

‘The Home Secretary has announced that the Home Office is establishing a new Scientific Advisory Committee to provide advice on ways of checking how old an asylum seeker is.’

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Home Office, 5th January 2022

Source: www.gov.uk

New scheme aims to resettle 20,000 Afghans in UK – BBC News

Posted January 7th, 2022 in Afghanistan, asylum, government departments, immigration, news, refugees by sally

‘The government has launched a new scheme to help 20,000 Afghans fleeing their country to resettle in the UK.’

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BBC News, 6th January 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Trafficking victims entitled to back payments after court ruling – The Guardian

‘Thousands of trafficking victims who had government support payments removed in the midst of the pandemic are entitled to back payments that could run into millions of pounds, following a high court ruling that found the policy to be unlawful.’

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The Guardian, 17th December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grace period in a time of Covid – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 1st, 2021 in asylum, coronavirus, delay, deportation, detention, housing, human rights, immigration, news by sally

‘In R (Babbage) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] EWHC 2995 (Admin), the Claimant applied for judicial review, claiming that his immigration detention from 27 February 2020 to 29 April 2021 had been unlawful and/or that there was a public law error relating to the delay in the provision of s.4 accommodation. Soole J gave a potentially significant judgment concerning the ambit of the “grace period” for locating s.4 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 accommodation, i.e. accommodation provided to failed asylum seekers. The judge also made some apposite comments concerning the requirement for appropriate evidence in unlawful detention claims from the relevant decision maker.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th November 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Home Office U-turn on Sri Lankan scientist’s asylum claim – The Guardian

‘The Home Office has U-turned on plans to deport a leading scientist carrying out groundbreaking research into affordable forms of solar energy and allowed him and his family to remain in the UK.’

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The Guardian, 1st December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Victims of sexual violence let down by UK asylum system, report says – The Guardian

Posted November 30th, 2021 in asylum, news, reports, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘Victims of sexual violence face further abuse and trauma as a result of the UK asylum process and are systematically let down by authorities, according to a report.’

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The Guardian, 29th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Channel deaths: the UK has clear legal responsibilities towards people crossing in small boats – EIN Blog

‘At least 27 people have drowned in the English Channel attempting to cross in a small boat. There were three children, seven women, one of whom was pregnant, and 17 men. Although a joint search and rescue operation was seemingly launched in the narrow maritime area between the UK and France (which is only 20 miles wide), the highly equipped authorities of both coastal states were not able to intervene in time to save the victims. The British government has responded to these deaths by calling on France to take back anyone who attempts the crossing. Speaking in parliament following the tragedy, Home Secretary Priti Patel placed heavy emphasis on the French government’s responsibility for the tragedy, which she said was “not a surprise”.

Regardless of how these people got there, the UK has clear legal responsibilities to anyone who finds themselves in trouble in the Channel. However much French authorities bolster their own efforts, the UK is obliged by multiple international conventions to maintain robust search and rescue operations in the area.’

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EIN Blog, 26th November 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

British MPs call for law changes to help young Hongkongers flee to UK – The Guardian

‘More than nine in 10 people who have faced protest charges in Hong Kong are too young to access a UK visa scheme dedicated to helping Hongkongers flee to Britain, according to advocates and MPs calling for new laws to assist them.’

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The Guardian, 28th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Asylum seekers jailed for steering dinghies appealing after being branded ‘people smugglers’ by government – The Independent

‘More than a dozen asylum seekers who were jailed for steering dinghies across the English Channel are fighting to have their convictions overturned.’

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The Independent, 28th November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Priti Patel faces three legal challenges over refugee pushback plans – The Guardian

‘Priti Patel is facing three legal challenges over her controversial plans to push back refugees on small boats in the Channel who are trying to reach the UK.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office ‘covering up’ its own study of why refugees come to the UK – The Guardian

Posted November 22nd, 2021 in asylum, bills, charities, government departments, immigration, news, refugees by sally

‘The Home Office is covering up its own research into why refugees and asylum seekers travel to the UK because ministers “know their arguments don’t stand up,” charities claim.’

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The Guardian, 20th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Nationality and Borders Bill threatens the rights of stateless children – EIN Blog

‘Priti Patel’s Nationality and Borders Bill has been controversial since its announcement to say the least. It has faced criticisms for its extremely harsh treatment of asylum seekers and refugees and its potential contribution to creating a hostile environment for migrants residing within the UK. However, it has now been argued by MP’s that the Bill risks failing to protect stateless children within the country.’

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EIN Blog, 17th November, 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Britain First activist faces retrial for alleged assault at hotel housing asylum seekers – The Independent

Posted November 12th, 2021 in assault, asylum, coronavirus, hotels, immigration, news, political parties, retrials by sally

‘Magistrates have set aside the conviction of a Britain First activist accused of assaulting a security guard at a hotel housing asylum seekers. James White, 31, will face a retrial for assault at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on 7 March. He was found guilty of the offence in his absence on Monday, but the conviction was ruled unsafe two days later after his lawyer successfully argued proceedings had gone ahead unfairly.’

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The Independent, 11th November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Britain First activist convicted of assaulting security guard at hotel housing asylum seekers – The Independent

Posted November 9th, 2021 in assault, asylum, hotels, immigration, news, political parties by sally

‘A Britain First activist has been convicted of assaulting a security guard at a hotel housing asylum seekers.’

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The Independent, 8th November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Home Office must rethink ‘regressive’ plans to use X-ray asylum seekers for age assessments, say charities – The Independent

‘The Home Office must rethink its “regressive and unethical” plans to use scientific methods such X-rays to age assess asylum seekers, a coalition of children’s charities has warned.’

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The Independent, 1st November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Council decision to keep asylum seekers who were putative children in hotel accommodation was unlawful, High Court rules – Local Government Lawyer

‘The London Borough of Brent breached its section 20 duties under the Children Act 1989 when it chose not to provide proper accommodation to unaccompanied asylum seekers while awaiting an assessment of their age, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th October 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Supreme Court considers asylum claim decided under quashed fast track rules – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 27th, 2021 in appeals, asylum, human rights, immigration, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘In 2015, the Court of Appeal found that the fast-track procedure rules for appeals against the refusal of some types of asylum claim (the FTR) was “structurally unfair, unjust and ultra vires” (R (Detention Action) v First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) [2015] EWCA Civ 840; [2015] 1 WLR 5341, known as DA6). The Court of Appeal quashed the FTR because this structural unfairness “created a risk that the applicants would have inadequate time to obtain advice, marshall their evidence and properly present their cases”, which “created an unacceptable risk of unfairness in a significant number of cases”.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th October 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Young Hong Kongers who fled police brutality ‘languishing’ in UK asylum system due to arbitrary age cut-off – The Independent

‘Young Hong Kong nationals who fled police brutality are “languishing” in the UK asylum system because they are arbitrarily excluded from a Home Office settlement route due to their age.’

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The Independent, 24th October 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Last-minute legal claims brought by deportees due to ‘shambolic’ advice system in detention, lawyers warn – The Independent

‘Last-minute legal claims are being brought by people facing deportation due to the “shambolic” legal advice system in removal centres, lawyers have warned.’

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The Independent, 17th October 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Trafficking victims should be granted leave to remain in UK, high court rules – The Guardian

‘Thousands of victims of trafficking who have been left to languish in the immigration system for years should be granted leave to remain, the high court has said in a landmark ruling.’

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The Guardian, 12th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com