HUMAN RIGHTS
A driver who handed over seven illegal
immigrants hiding in his lorry has been ruined
because of human rights laws.
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POLITICAL
REFUGEES
We have not come to the UK for
"economic reasons". We are political
refugees who had to leave Iraq, due to
persecution on a massive scale. It is common
knowledge that the Kurds have been tortured and
killed in their thousands by the dictator Saddam
Hussain.
In 1988, more than 5,000 Kurdish civilians were
killed by poison gas in Halabja. This included
women and children. In the same year, more than
182,000 Kurds were murdered in Garingan.
Also in Barzan 8,000 Kurds were murdered. More
than 4,500 Kurdish villages were totally wiped
out. Many young Kurdish girls were sold by force
by the Government of Iraq to Kuwait, Dubai, Qatar
other Arab states. Dana Besarani
But why the UK and not one of the many other
"safe" countries en-route? |
SOFT
TOUCH
Two Afghan asylum seekers arrived as
ferry stowaways at Newhaven Docks. They had no
passports and no money. It was decided they
should go to the detention centre near Gatwick
but, in a country with more civil servants than
ever, no one was available to take them. So they
were told to make their own way there. Have they
been seen since? No. Are they likely to announce
themselves again? No. Are we still a soft touch?
Yes. |
NOT
OUR PROBLEM
The plight of asylum seekers surely lies
with the responsibility of the country of the
origin of asylum seekers, not with the country
which is landed with the problem? Sam
Tristram |
BETTER
HEALTHCARE
Failed asylum seekers waiting to be
kicked out of Britain are receiving better
healthcare than the rest of the country.
Detainees in Yarl's Wood Removal Centre can see a
doctor within 24 hours and a free dentist within
10 days. Despite this, 41% of those held in the
centre complained that their healthcare was
"bad or very bad." (Source: Daily
Express) |
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ASYLUM SEEKERS
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With an estimated 400,000 rejected asylum
seekers still living in Britain, Home Office statistics
show the backlog is being reduced at a rate of just 3,500
people per year, meaning the task will take 113 years.
Home Secretary John Reid pledged in the House of Commons
to clear the backlog of deportations 'within five years
and hopefully sooner.' He later claimed he was referring
only to failed asylum seekers 'who can be found' by
immigration officers, a promise dismissed by critics as
meaningless.
The Home Office dramatically increased its estimate of
the number of failed asylum seekers still in the country
after a trawl of old files uncovered an astonishing
200,000 forgotten cases, taking the total to 400,000 or
more. At the current rate the last failed asylum seekers
would be deported some time in the year 2119. In reality
officials accept that many will probably never be tracked
down or sent home. (Source: Mail on Sunday, Aug/06)
A rapist who claimed political asylum after
attacking a young nanny may be allowed to stay in Britain
after his jail term ends because no one knows where to
send him. Judge Charles Byers said Oule Doucoure was a
"significant risk" to the public and told him
he must serve at least seven years. Doucoure has used
four false names and applied for asylum, claiming he saw
rebels murder his parents in the Central African
Republic. Police believe he made up the story to stay
here and that he is from Mali where there is no political
unrest. Det Con Irene Smith said, "It is a
possibility that we will not find out who he really is.
If we can't prove where he is from they will probably
process his asylum application. Unfortunately I think
that will probably happen." (Source: Daily Mirror, Mar/06)
The Pennine Hotel in Macklin Street was
chosen by Accomodata, a company supported by the National
Asylum Support Service. The Home Office said there were
no immediate plans to bring it into use but the proposal
was criticised by the leader of the city council Chris
Williamson who said such a city-centre location would not
be suitable. He also called for better co-operation
between the Home Office and local authorities over the
selection of such accommodation.
Mr Williamson added, "We are usually consulted and
involved but there are times when we are not consulted,
such as in this case, and that is when difficulties
arise. Around 1,900 asylum seekers have been relatively
successfully accommodated in Derby and this is because
people on the ground here have been involved. It's a
problem when we are left out for what appears to be
solely financial reasons."
By 2040, the
population of the UK will have increased by 15 million
immigrants, according to figures calculated, or made up,
by the government's actuarial department. That's an
increase on our current population of more than a
quarter, an enormous rise - even assuming that our
natural population growth remains fairly static. It will
be balanced, the actuaries suggest, by 10 million people
leaving the country, which means a net increase of about
10% (5.4 million, to be precise), which is also pretty
huge. The first question that occurs is - why the hell do
they want to come here?
In the main, these are not asylum seekers or economic
refugees. They are, according to the government, from
Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe. What's wrong
with them? Don't they know what it's like here? If they
want a cold, damp and foggy continental appendage
inhabited by morose and borderline xenophobic natives,
why don't they try Kamchatka? It's cheaper and there's
more room.
Britain is too crowded, and an increase in the population
of 10% will make us much more miserable than we are now.
Our infrastructure cannot cope with even the current
level of population. The chaos on our railways, the
pensioner waiting for days on a hospital trolley, the
traffic pulverising our towns and clogging up the
motorways, are as much a function of overcrowding as they
are a result of under-funding or incompetent management.
So, why the hell do they want to come here? Two words:
Welfare Benefits.
How good it
was to see the Iraqi people celebrate the capture of
Saddam Hussein and the celebrations on all the Iraqi city
streets. These celebrations were also echoed in Derby by
its large refugee community. Now, I think, the Derby folk
living in sheltered accomodation and Derby folk on long
housing waiting lists will also be celebrating. My point
is that, now the Iraqi regime is dead and buried and its
leader captured, all these Iraqi and Kurdish refugees can
return home and we will wish them well. This will release
hundreds of properties and also give our economy a
welcome boost with fewer benefits being claimed. I expect
the Iraqi and Kurdish people of Derby are already
planning their triumphant return home - or maybe not. Christopher
Hipkin
Derby
Voluntary Sector Refugee Forum, which runs advice
sessions for asylum seekers and refugees, claims that as
many as 1,000 people are currently living in the city as
what are known as "overstayers". These are
people who have their applications for asylum turned down
and then, within a fortnight, are stripped of state
support usually provided by the National Asylum Support
Service (NASS)
The forum estimates the figure of 1,000 because they
advise dozens of overstayers every week and leaders of
the 2,000-strong Kurdish community believe that 40 to 50%
of them are failed asylum seekers. Derby City Council's
deputy leader, Councillor Philip Hickson, believes there
are about 1,500 illegal immigrants here, which includes
overstayers and people who have never claimed asylum.
He bases this on reports from landlords about failed
asylum seekers staying with friends. However, it is
impossible to get an exact figure as it seems no records
are kept of failed asylum seekers, they simply
"disappear". David Callow, chairman of the
forum, said, "These people fall into a black hole.
They should be sent back, but it's not happening. It's a
time bomb waiting to go off. They've been chucked out of
their housing and have nowhere to go."
He is worried some overstayers have no choice but to take
work illegally or get involved in crime and drugs. The
Home Office admits removing failed asylum seekers does
present "considerable problems" but maintains
it is removing a "record" number. A spokeswoman
said, "We don't recognise the 1,000 figure. Asylum
seekers who are refused refugee status and have no other
basis to stay are expected to leave the UK. If they
don't, we will detain them and remove them. The
Immigration Service conducts operations regularly to
remove those who have no legal right to remain in the
UK." Joanna Hill
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