Editorial note: this is reposted from Asylum Matters. Asylum Matters changed the way their tag things on their website (and we didn’t realise) which means the automatic reposting of their bulletins has not worked for about 2 months. We’re really sorry for not catching this and responding sooner. Here’s a link to all the articles you missed
- Advocacy and campaigning initiatives
Rwanda
Following campaigning led by Freedom from Torture, the charter airline Privilege Style has pulled out of the scheme to fly people seeking asylum to Rwanda. You can share Freedom from Torture’s posts about this great news on Twitter and Facebook.
High Court hearings were held on 13th and 14th October as the court heard the case brought by Asylum Aid against the scheme. The judgments from this case, and the previous case heard in September, will be given together at a future date.
Campaigning continues for the scheme to be withdrawn completely, including Safe Passage running a ‘write to your MP’ action, Care4Calais suggesting actions to #StopRwanda, and Together With Refugees continuing to run the ‘Fill the Skies With Hope’ action.
Calling on Local Authorities to fight the #AntiRefugeeLaws
Last week we held an online event to share ideas and suggestions for working with Local Authorities to fight the anti-refugee laws, with speakers including Cllr John Cotton of Birmingham City Council, and Akram Elmisbah, student and campaigner. You can watch the recording of the event here.
During the event we also discussed our recent resources designed to support partners in calling on Local Authorities to stand with communities against the anti-refugee laws. Please do let us know if you are planning on using these resources to approach your Local Authority!
Lift the Ban
The Lift the Ban coalition has shared a new campaign video focusing on polling from earlier this year that showed 81% of the public support giving people seeking asylum the right to work. You can download the video here, and a draft tweet is below or you can share earlier posts (see Refugee Action here and Asylum Matters here).
Dear Government, Looking for a policy that saves £££ but is also wildly popular with the public? It’s time to #LiftTheBan and give people seeking asylum the right to work. [insert video]
Register to attend the Lift the Ban coalition gathering: 2nd November, London
The Lift The Ban campaign will hold a face-to-face gathering for coalition members in London on Wednesday 2 November – 11.30am-5pm to plan our next steps towards lifting the ban on working for people seeking asylum. You can register to attend here. Please note that we can provide financial support to ensure expert by experience campaigners are able to attend.
If you are not coalition members but are interested in joining us, please contact [email protected] for information.
Immigration detention
Oxfordshire Council has passed a motion opposing the reopening of Campsfield House detention centre, while Allies for Justice have joined with Ben & Jerry’s UK, Detention Action and LadBible to highlight the impact of immigration detention through first-hand accounts. You can read and share Mark’s Twitter diary, Daisy’s article, and Usman’s Twitter Diary. Ben and Jerry’s has also created a petition to call for the end of detention.
- Home Office and Government Developments
Accommodation centres
The Home Office has officially confirmed that plans for an accommodation centre at Linton-on-Ouse will not go ahead. Meanwhile, there are reports of a diphtheria outbreak at Manston airfield where around 3000 people are being accommodated in tents.
New ministerial appointments
Suella Braverman has been reappointed Home Secretary by new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. This follows her resignation from the job, submitted to previous PM Liz Truss less than a week ago, for a security breach and possible breach of the ministerial code. Her rapid reappointment has provoked considerable concern, with opposition parties calling for an investigation.
Robert Jenrick has been appointed as Immigration Minister, and will attend Cabinet.
Concerns raised over removals
Concerns have been raised about a group of 11 Albanians flown out of the UK soon after arriving in small boats despite the UK Government previously conceding that it does not have the right to fast-track Albanian nationals.
- Reports and research
ICIBI report on the use of hotels for housing unaccompanied children
The Independent Chief Inspector has now published its report, submitted to the Home Secretary in June, on an inspection of hotels on or near the South Coast used to place unaccompanied children. It found that “the Home Office is effectively operating unregistered young people’s homes”, with neither the Home Office nor local authorities holding statutory responsibility for these young people, and in some cases staff on site who had not been DBS checked.
Meanwhile, a Parliamentary answer has revealed that over 220 unaccompanied children have gone missing from hotels funded by the Home Office, prompting claims of a “catastrophic child protection failure” – media coverage here.
New ATLEU report: ‘It has destroyed me’ A legal advice system on the brink
ATLEU has launched a new report on the legal advice crisis for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery entitled ‘It has destroyed me’: A legal advice system on the brink.
House of Lords Committee Report on Rwanda Deal
The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has published a report on the UK-Rwanda Memorandum of Understanding, finding that the agreement to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda should not have been concluded without parliamentary scrutiny or legally enforceable safeguards.
- Resources, events, jobs and training
Briefing on reporting conditions
Migrants Organise and GMIAU have produced a short briefing on reporting conditions for immigration solicitors, caseworkers and support workers. More info here.
Project 17 training on Section 17 support for families with NRPF
Project 17 is offering an online training session 27th October 2022 10am – 2.30pm for advisors and other professionals working with families with No Recourse to Public Funds. You can find more information and sign up for the session here.
Training on NRPF: Accessing healthcare, benefits and other support provisions
The Migrant Women’s Rights Service and The Unity Project are hosting a joint training on Wednesday Wednesday 26th October on Zoom, from 12pm – 2pm. You can find more information and book a place here.
Bloody Good Period: Expert by Experience Forum
Bloody Good Period are recruiting 6-8 people who menstruate to join their Expert by Experience Forum. They would like to hear from people who live in London and have experienced difficulty in accessing period products and/ or menstrual healthcare for financial reasons. They are particularly keen to hear from current or former asylum seekers and refugees.
You can find more by emailing [email protected] or viewing the information here, including on the support, training and expenses available to participants; and on the online drop-in session at 1pm on 31 October now open for sign-ups.
Jobs
- Room to Heal has vacancies for a Caseworker (maternity cover) (closing date 2nd Nov), casework volunteers and Community cooking volunteers
- Bristol Refugee Rights is looking for someone to facilitate its Pride Without Borders Group for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees. More information here, closing date 6th November.
- Scottish Refugee Council is recruiting a Media Officer, closing date 6th November.
- RefuAid is recruiting a Programme Admissions Officer, closing date 23rd November.
- Refugee Council is recruiting a Senior Media and Marketing Officer (maternity cover), closing date 31st October.
- Haringey Migrant Support Centre is recruiting an Immigration Caseworker, closing date Monday 31st October, and an Intern (someone with lived experience) deadline 7th November
- Migration Exchange is seeking a Co-Director, closing date is 10am on 9th November.
- Young Roots is recruiting a Head of Services, closing date 1st November, and a Senior Fundraising Manager, closing date 13th November.
- What we’ve been reading, watching and listening to
- People seeking asylum speak to My London about their experiences of living on asylum support during the cost of living crisis.
- Rishan, a KRAN young ambassador, talks to Newsnight about the plight of young people being trafficked to the UK in a piece that covers the alarming number of children who have gone missing from hotels (begins 26:13).
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