ASYLUM SEEKERS

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Thousands of asylum rejects have won a legal battle to get free health treatment on the NHS. Taxpayers face a multi-million pound bill after it was ruled that charges imposed by hospital chiefs were a breach of human rights. More than 11,000 failed asylum-seekers will now get free healthcare after the ruling at London’s High Court. The judgment came after a test case was brought by a rejected Palestinian asylum-seeker on legal aid. Mr Justice Mitting ruled the NHS acted unlawfully by refusing him free treatment for chronic liver disease. Bosses backed down before the case came to court but lawyers continued the battle on behalf of all failed asylum-seekers who agree to go but cannot be removed.

The court heard the man, in his 30s, applied for asylum after arriving here three years ago. His bid was refused due to documentation problems and he was turned away from West Middlesex University Hospital. The judge said charging rules introduced in 2004 by then Health Minister John Hutton were unlawful and said all foreigners given temporary admittance should be treated as UK nationals. Many asylum-seekers enter Britain penniless as “health tourists” seeking costly HIV and Aids treatment. Legal experts say the ruling will open the floodgates for free treatment for virtually all failed asylum seekers. (Source: The Sun, Apr/08)

Asylum seekers are to get trapeze lessons funded by taxpayers’ cash. A UK touring theatre company is spending £60,000 in grants helping teach circus skills in order to improve their confidence. The group also lays on free transport, refreshments and interpreters in Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish Sorani and Kurdish Kurmanji. The Big Top skills, creative writing and drama workshops are offered by BandBazi Circus Theatre, a Brighton-based multicultural performing arts company.

The project is open to people aged between 15 and 25 and backers include Brighton and Hove Council, the Arts Council, and the EU’s Social Fund. A council spokesman said, “The aim is to engage disadvantaged young people, including young refugees and asylum seekers, in positive activities that will encourage them to develop new skills. These include communication and English language skills, and increased self-confidence and self-esteem.” (Source: The Sun, Jan/07)

The Government announced it will stop sending asylum seekers to Derby - at least for the time being. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS), the Government agency that houses asylum seekers while they await the outcome of their residency applications, has called a temporary halt to its dispersal scheme. The move comes after Derby City Council lobbied NASS to stop sending people to the city. Currently, NASS is supporting 1,367 people in Derby - 217 more than the city should have, according to the agency's own guidelines of placing one asylum seeker per 200 of the existing population - which is around 230,000.

The Lib Dem-Tory alliance, which took control of the council in May, says the number of asylum seekers is causing a "serious strain" on housing and health services and that the city cannot cope with a continued influx of asylum seekers. Tory Philip Hickson, council deputy leader, said, "I shall continue to campaign against any more asylum seekers being dispersed in this city. My view is, and always has been, that the policy of introducing large numbers of asylum seekers, which cannot be properly supported, has been a disaster, and I'm glad to see it come to an end."

A few weeks earlier, a petition was handed in to the city council by members of the Asian community of Normanton calling for the council to take action over tensions caused by Iraqi asylum seekers. They claimed that "the asylum seekers should not have been placed in what is a 'majority' Asian community," adding, "this has caused problems because they don't seem to fit in with Western culture." This decision to stop sending asylum seekers here wouldn't have anything to do with the petition, would it?

The Government was accused of "secretly" sending asylum seekers to Derby without informing the city council. Council deputy leader Philip Hickson was outraged. He said it was "highly unethical" of the Government. "We would expect that if there were any changes to the arrangements, they would have to consult with us. They haven't done that. If some sort of dispersal has been arranged, it's certainly a matter we'll take up with NASS and we'll get MPs involved. We wouldn't expect a Government department to under-handedly resume any dispersal."

Mr Hickson estimates there are more than 3,000 refugees in Derby, plus at least 1,500 illegal immigrants. Official figures show there are 1,096 asylum seekers in Derby. David Callow, Derby Voluntary Sector Refugee Forum chairman, which helps asylum seekers and refugees, said most were single working men in private rented accommodation, who would not receive housing waiting list priority. He added, "There's a lot of negativity from people who assume they're drains on society."

Council leaders said they have had assurances that no asylum seekers have been sent to the city since September 2003 saying they would be very unhappy if the Home Office's promises turned out to be misleading. Mr Hickson said, "I will be more than disappointed, I shall be furious. We had an agreement that dispersal to the city would cease. There has been no agreement that it could resume and the council's policy is that it should not resume."

Bill Jeffrey, the head of the Home Office's immigration and nationality directorate, admitted that the Government got it wrong. In a statement, he said, "There has been no dispersal of asylum seekers to Derby since September, 2003, and dispersal to Derby remains suspended. We would not restart dispersing asylum seekers to Derby without consulting fully with Derby City Council and other local partners, to ensure that the needs of the community were taken into account."

Mr Hickson said, "It's an absolute disgrace, an illustration of what a shambles asylum policy is - the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. I want to reassure people that dispersal will not resume, and the Home Office has now confirmed that dispersal would also not resume, without the city council's knowledge and agreement."

This Government and the politically correct establishment have created a ludicrous situation where living in harmony with ethnic minorities will become an impossibility. In the first instance, there are far too many refugees still being allowed into this already overpopulated island.

They are given quality housing, health and education facilities, plus generous benefits, while we English citizens, born and bred here, have to suffer continuing deterioration of the National Health Service, education, care for the elderly and the breakdown of public services, thus causing anger and resentment regarding the preferential treatment of asylum seekers.

The idea of Britain being a multi-cultural society has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identitity. As Britons, we have our own culture, society, language and lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggle, trials and victories by many men and women who have sought freedom. We speak English, not Urdu, Hindu, Arabic, Chinese or any other language, and we really do not care how they did things where they came from.

We are happy with our culture and we have no desire to change to suit the ethnic minorities. This is our country and our laws give every citizen the right to express his opinion. We were never consulted or given that right on whether or not we wished to integrate, but I have no doubt that the results of the next election will reflect those views. Mrs J. Capenerhurst

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