Home Office ignored warnings that could have prevented Windrush suffering, finds watchdog – The Independent

Posted January 14th, 2021 in citizenship, colonies, government departments, immigration, news, reports by tracey

‘The Home Office ignored warnings that could have prevented some of the suffering experienced by the Windrush generation, the government’s own immigration watchdog has said.’

Full Story

The Independent, 13th January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Child spies’ bill could face Lords defeat as Tory peers rebel – The Guardian

‘Tory peers, bishops and crossbenchers could inflict defeat on the government after an outcry over new guidance which allows state agencies to use children as undercover spies as part of the government’s covert intelligence bill.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 13th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Errol Graham: Starved man’s family take benefits case to court – BBC News

‘The family of a mentally ill man who starved to death after his benefits were stopped will take on the government at the High Court later.’

Full Story

BBC News, 12th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK ministers face legal action over lack of abortion services in Northern Ireland – The Guardian

‘Northern Ireland’s human rights commission (NIHRC) has launched a landmark legal action against the UK government for its failure to commission safe and accessible abortion services more than a year after abortion was made legal in the country, the Guardian can reveal.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 10th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Families of people who died deserve a hearing’: Unison boss demands public inquiry into government handling of Covid – The Independent

‘The boss of Britain’s biggest union has called for a pandemic “day of reckoning”, saying he’d been left “heartbroken” over thousands of needless deaths among his members.’

Full Story

The Independent, 8th January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Migrant domestic abuse victims’ data must not be shared between police and Home Office, report warns – The Independent

‘Police and government must urgently introduce measures to stop police sharing domestic abuse victims’ immigration data with the Home Office, a major new report has warned.
Campaigners have routinely voiced fears women with unsettled immigration status who are suffering domestic violence are often too fearful to report the abuse due to fears police will share their data with the Home Office and they will face deportation.’

Full Story

The Independent, 17th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ofcom investigating row over Emily Maitlis’ Newsnight monologue about Dominic Cummings – The Independent

‘The UK’s broadcasting watchdog is investigating the row over BBC host Emily Maitlis’ monologue about Dominic Cummings’ infamous trip to Barnard Castle.’

Full Story

The Independent, 15th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grooming gangs come from ‘diverse backgrounds’, says Home Office as review finally published – The Independent

‘Grooming gangs come from “diverse backgrounds”, a Home Office review has concluded. The research, originally promised by Sajid Javid in 2018, was published on Tuesday following a government U-turn. The Home Office previously said releasing the paper would not be in the “public interest”, in response to a Freedom of Information request by The Independent, but committed to making it public after a petition signed by more than 130,000 people.’
Full report

Full Story

The Independent, 15th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Home Office leaving stateless people facing detention and destitution, warns UN – The Independent

‘The Home Office is leaving stateless people in the UK at risk of homelessness, destitution and prolonged detention, the UN’s refugee agency has warned. A procedure designed to help regularise the status of stateless individuals in Britain is not functioning as well as it should due to procedural weaknesses and the approach to decision-making, the UNHCR said.’

Full Story

The Independent, 16th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Home Office unlawfully leaving destitute and disabled asylum-seekers homeless, High Court rules – The Independent

Posted December 15th, 2020 in asylum, disabled persons, government departments, homelessness, housing, news by tracey

‘The Home Office is leaving destitute asylum-seekers homeless in breach of the law due to its failure to monitor the operations of private firms contracted to manage asylum accommodation, the High Court has ruled. In a ruling handed down on Monday morning, Justice Robin Knowles found that the five claimants in the case – all asylum-seekers considered by the Home Office itself to be “highly vulnerable” and eligible for housing support – had been left homeless for prolonged periods.’

Full Story

The Independent, 15th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK ‘reneges on vow to reunite child refugees with families’ – The Guardian

Posted December 14th, 2020 in asylum, charities, children, families, government departments, immigration, news, refugees by tracey

‘Unaccompanied children in France are being told by the French authorities that they should give up hope of being reunited with family in the UK after the Home Office failed to offer the help it had promised. With the deadline to enter the UK legally and safely under the EU’s family reunification rules due to expire at the end of the year, the Home Office is accused of reneging on its vow to help unaccompanied children reunite with family in the UK.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 13th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

All Windrush victims to get at least £10,000 – BBC News

‘The government is to give more money to victims of the Windrush scandal, which saw hundreds of people wrongly threatened with deportation.’

Full Story

BBC News, 14th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Deportation and family rights – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The European Court of Human Rights has found that the deportation of a Nigerian man from the United Kingdom violated his right to respect for private and family life guaranteed by article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The applicant in Unuane v United Kingdom successfully argued that his removal from the UK was a disproportionate interference with family life because it separated him from his children. Though finding for the applicant, the Court rejected his attack on the compatibility of the Immigration Rules – an issue that as recently as 2016 the Supreme Court had authoritatively settled. The decision is of interest for the Court’s approach to the necessary balancing exercise to be carried out in the sensitive area of human rights challenges to the deportation of foreign criminals.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, 10th December 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

New surrender scheme starts to keep dangerous weapons off the streets – Home Office

Posted December 11th, 2020 in firearms, government departments, offensive weapons, police, press releases, violence by tracey

‘Measures to keep dangerous weapons off the streets are a step closer today with the opening of a surrender scheme, under prohibitions introduced in the Offensive Weapons Act.’

Full press release

Home Office, 10th December 2020

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Ministers told to ‘stamp out’ normal birth ideology in NHS – The Independent

Posted December 11th, 2020 in birth, codes of practice, government departments, health, hospitals, inquiries, news, pregnancy by tracey

‘Ministers have been told they must “stamp out” a “normal” birth ideology in NHS maternity services that puts babies and mothers lives at risk. The call came after an inquiry report into poor care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust found many women were medicated and forced to endure traumatic births with some being denied caesarean sections in order to keep rates low.’

Full Story

The Independent, 10th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK to deny asylum to refugees passing through ‘safe’ third country – The Guardian

Posted December 11th, 2020 in asylum, brexit, government departments, immigration, international law, news, refugees by tracey

‘Ministers have quietly changed immigration rules to prevent people fleeing war or persecution from claiming asylum in the UK if they have passed through a “safe” third country, prompting accusations of a breach of international law. From 1 January, claims of asylum from a person who has travelled through or has a connection to a safe third country, including people coming from EU member states, will be treated as inadmissible.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 10th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Union takes legal action over Boris Johnson’s decision to clear Priti Patel of bullying – The Independent

‘Boris Johnson is facing legal action over his decision to clear Priti Patel of bullying staff at the Home Office and other departments.’

Full Story

The Independent, 10th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Home Office sued by family of Windrush man refused UK citizenship – The Guardian

‘The family of a Windrush man denied British citizenship on the grounds that he failed a good character requirement are suing the Home Office to try to change legislation, arguing the rules are racially discriminatory.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 10th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office wrongly charged 69 Albanians with entering Britain illegally – despite fact they did not reach UK – The Independent

Posted December 10th, 2020 in government departments, immigration, mistake, news by tracey

‘Home Office officials wrongly charged 69 people with entering the UK illegally when they had not reached the country, it has emerged.’

Full Story

The Independent, 9th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Under-18s banned from lottery scratchcards in crackdown – BBC News

Posted December 9th, 2020 in children, fines, gambling, government departments, news, regulations, young persons by sally

‘The age limit for playing the National Lottery is set to be raised from 16 to 18 from next October as the government moves to crackdown on gambling.’

Full Story

BBC News, 8th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk