Category: government departments

Painful lessons about the duty of candour (more on the unlawful seizure of migrants’ mobiles) – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 22nd, 2022 in data protection, government departments, human rights, immigration, interpretation, judicial review, news, privacy, telecommunications by sally

‘In this first Judgment, the Court analysed powers granted by the Immigration Acts 1971 and 2016 and rejected the Defendant’s erroneous interpretation of the relevant statutory provisions. It then made consequential orders (also reported) including steps to publicise its ruling, given that over 400 phones, still held, could not be linked to any individual migrant.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 21st November 2022

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

The UK asylum backlog and increased use of immigration detention are negatively impacting children’s welfare – EIN Blog

Posted November 22nd, 2022 in asylum, children, detention, families, government departments, immigration, news, refugees, statistics by sally

‘Children and their parents make up a significant part of the population seeking asylum in the UK, but this receives limited attention in public discourse. Ilona Pinter draws on the UK government’s data, alongside additional research, to explore how children and families are being affected by the growing asylum backlog and the increasing use of immigration detention.’

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EIN Blog, 22nd November 2022

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Council threatens Home Office with judicial review after third hotel used to house asylum seekers – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 21st, 2022 in asylum, government departments, hotels, immigration, injunctions, judicial review, local government, news, refugees by tracey

‘Torbay Council has issued a second pre-proceedings letter for a judicial review of the Home Office’s plan to block-book a third hotel in the area in order to accommodate asylum seekers.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

UK citizenship appeal by Shamima Begum to begin – The Independent

Posted November 21st, 2022 in appeals, citizenship, government departments, immigration, news, terrorism, trafficking in human beings, victims by tracey

‘Shamima Begum is set to begin her appeal over the removal of her UK citizenship.’

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The Independent, 21st November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Children being coerced into most severe forms of sexual abuse online – report – The Independent

Posted November 18th, 2022 in bills, charities, child abuse, children, government departments, indecent photographs of children, internet, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘The Internet Watch Foundation says it found nearly 900 instances of the most severe types of child sexual abuse content in just five days.’

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The Independent, 18th November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Refusals on ‘Not Conducive to the Public Good’ Grounds – EIN Blog

Posted November 18th, 2022 in burden of proof, government departments, immigration, news, public interest by tracey

‘Where an individual’s presence in the UK is non-conducive to the public good, Part 9 of the Immigration Rules sets out that this is a mandatory ground for refusal or cancellation under the suitability requirements. This applies to applications for entry clearance, permission to enter and permission to stay.
Presence in the UK being non-conducive to the public good can also constitute a reason to deprive an individual of their British citizenship. This is set out in further detail in our earlier post here. However, the deprivation of citizenship is provided for separately under section 40(4) of the British Nationality Act 1981.’

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EIN Blog, 14th November 2022

Source: www.ein.org.uk

ICO reprimand for misuse of children’s data: a proportionate response or a let off? – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 18th, 2022 in children, data protection, fines, gambling, government departments, local government, news, school children by tracey

‘Last week, the Department for Education received a formal reprimand from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over a “serious breach” of the GDPR involving the unauthorised sharing of up to 28 million children’s personal data. But the Department has avoided a fine, despite a finding of “woeful” data protection practices. Ibrahim Hasan reports.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Home Office’s ‘out-of-date’ grasp of fraud highlighted by watchdog – The Guardian

Posted November 16th, 2022 in fraud, government departments, news by sally

‘The Home Office has an incomplete and out-of-date grasp of the cost of fraud in the UK and a poor understanding of who commits the crime, a public spending watchdog has found.’

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The Guardian, 15th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court refuses to extend interim injunctions stopping hotels from accommodating asylum seekers – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 15th, 2022 in asylum, change of use, government departments, hotels, injunctions, local government, news, planning by sally

‘A High Court judge has refused to extend ‘without notice’ interim injunctions obtained by Ipswich Borough Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council that blocked the acccommodation of asylum seekers in local hotels.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Frederick Cowell: The Three Eras of Opposition to the Human Rights Act – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted November 14th, 2022 in constitutional law, government departments, human rights, immigration, legal history, news, political parties by tracey

‘Before it entered the statute books, before it even had been brought to Parliament, the Human Rights Act (HRA) was subject to opposition which was to only strengthen over time. The nature of that opposition has varied since the publication of White Paper Rights Brought Home in October 1997, but it has served as a vehicle, and site of contestation, for many constitutional debates and disagreements over the past quarter century. Opposition to the HRA is also a reflection of broader social change in British society in the twenty-first century and this understanding is key to any analysis of contemporary proposals for reform.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 14th November 2022

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Thousands of asylum seekers ‘in limbo’ waiting years for Home Office decision – The Independent

Posted November 14th, 2022 in asylum, delay, government departments, housing, immigration, news, refugees, statistics by tracey

‘Tens of thousands of migrants are waiting more than a year for a decision on their asylum claim, with hundreds waiting over five years, figures show.’

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The Independent, 14th November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Army families suing MoD for poor housing told to drop claims or have pay docked – The Guardian

Posted November 14th, 2022 in armed forces, bullying, compensation, costs, families, government departments, housing, news, whistleblowers by tracey

‘Army families suing the Ministry of Defence over the squalor of their living quarters are being issued with “bullying” ultimatums to drop the claims or face having their pay docked to cover the legal costs.’

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The Guardian, 13th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK’s treatment of asylum seekers must comply with international law, UN says – The Independent

Posted November 11th, 2022 in asylum, government departments, human rights, immigration, international law, news, refugees, United Nations by tracey

‘The UK should make sure its “treatment of asylum seekers complies with international laws”, members of the United Nations Human Rights Council said.’

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The Independent, 10th November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government planning definition of “gypsies and travellers” unlawfully discriminatory, Court of Appeal rules – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 9th, 2022 in appeals, equality, government departments, human rights, local government, news, planning, travellers by sally

‘A decision on a planning application made by settled Travellers by North West Leicestershire District Council and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities has been quashed by the Court of Appeal.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 9th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

UK rolling back efforts to tackle modern slavery, charity says – The Guardian

Posted November 8th, 2022 in charities, deportation, forced labour, government departments, human rights, immigration, news, United Nations by sally

‘The UK has been accused of “rolling back” moves to tackle modern slavery before a UN review of its human rights record on Thursday.’

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The Guardian, 8th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

The small boats storm and the unlawful seizure of mobile phones – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 7th, 2022 in asylum, data protection, government departments, human rights, immigration, news, refugees, telecommunications by tracey

‘The storm raging around small boats arriving on the south coast has been brewing for some time. In early summer the focus was a policy to send arrivals to Rwanda. Intervention by the European Court of Human Rights effectively suspended flights while a domestic ruling on the policy’s legality is awaited. Meanwhile, in Dover a migrant processing centre has been firebombed, another is dangerously overcrowded, and the new Home Secretary raises tensions by speaking of an “invasion”.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 4th November 2022

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

How Immigration Detention Violates People’s Human Rights – Each Other

Posted November 4th, 2022 in asylum, detention, government departments, human rights, immigration, international law, news by tracey

‘People held in immigration detention have human rights – just like the rest of us. Under international law and the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA), people have a right to liberty, a family life, an adequate standard of living and other aspects.’

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Each Other, 4th November 2022

Source: eachother.org.uk

Man who took posters to Sajid Javid’s home not guilty of criminal damage charge – The Independent

Posted November 4th, 2022 in coronavirus, criminal damage, demonstrations, government departments, news by tracey

‘A man has been found not guilty of intent to cause criminal damage after turning up at Sajid Javid’s home with adhesive spray and posters.’

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The Independent, 3rd November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Almost 75,000 defendants awaiting crown court trial, says head of CPS – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2022 in budgets, county courts, Crown Prosecution Service, delay, government departments, news, statistics by sally

‘The head of the Crown Prosecution Service has warned that cutting its budget would have a “catastrophic” impact on the backlog in the crown courts, as he revealed that almost 75,000 defendants were awaiting trial at the end of last month.’

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The Guardian, 1st November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government drops plan to combat anti-Muslim hatred with official definition of Islamophobia – The Independent

Posted October 31st, 2022 in government departments, hate crime, Islam, news, religious discrimination, religiously aggravated offences by tracey

‘The government has dropped work on an official definition of Islamophobia that was promised more than three years ago, amid mounting concern over inaction on the issue.’

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The Independent, 30th October 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk