Refugee Archives Update

The last week or so has been a busy one in terms of breaking news stories in regard to refugee and asylum issues.  The following news stories, exhibitions and publications are worthy of note:

News Stories

UK Appeal Court Terrorism Ruling

The Daily Telegraph (11/02/10): Binyam Mohamed: choose human rights or Britain's protection?
The Daily Telegraph (11/02/10): Binyam Mohamed: MI5 and Whitehall in torture 'cover-up'
BBC News (11/02/10): US disappointed at UK Appeal Court torture ruling
The Independent (11/02/10): Britain did know CIA tortured suspect
The Daily Telegraph (10/02/10): Binyam Mohamed torture allegations published
BBC News (10/02/10): Binyam Mohamed torture appeal lost by UK governmentThe Daily Telegraph (10/02/10): Binyam Mohamed: the secret torture file
The Daily Telegraph (10/02/10): Binyam Mohamed torture allegations must be disclosed, day judges

Student Visas

The Guardian (11/02/10): Clampdown on overseas student visas sparks funding concerns
The Guardian (07/02/10): Alan Johnson announces crackdown on student visas
The Daily Telegraph (06/02/10): Foreign student visa numbers to be slashed

Government Immigration Policy

The Daily Telegraph (10/02/10): Labour changes its tune over immigration limit as election looms
The Daily Telehraph (09/02/10): Labour's 'secret plan' to lure migrants
The Daily Telegraph (09/02/10): The deceit of Labour's immigration policy

UK Border Agency

The Daily Telegraph (09/02/10): Border Agency cannot perform basic functions, warns watchdog
BBC News (03/02/10): Whistleblower's claims about Cardiff asylum office


Child Asylum Seekers in the West Midlands

BBC News (08/02/10): Starting afresh in a foreign city

BBC News (08/02/10): Child asylum seeker numbers rise in West Midlands

See Also: BBC West Midlands Inside Out  programme on this issue.  Further details availble on

the Inside Out website and the programme is available to watch in the UK with the BBC iPlayer (29 minutes)

General Refugee and Asylum Related News Stories

The Guardian (11/02/10): 'Every Hindu and Sikh should be praising the BNP'

BBC News (11/02/10): Minister 'admits paying millions to detained migrants'
The Independent (11/02/10): Sri Lanka police fire tear gas on opposition in bid to quell protests
The Independent (11/02/10):  Leading article: Nelson Mandela's greatness transcended nation and tribe
The Independent (11/02/10): Joan Smith: Amnesty shouldn't support men like Moazzam Begg
The Independent (11/02/10):  Rankin in Africa: Images of love in a land of conflict.

See Also:  From Congo with Love exhibition details below.

The Daily Telegraph (10/02/10): Immigration officer rounds on Home Secretary

BBC News (10/02/10): Timeline: Democratic Republic of Congo

ICRC (10/02/10): ICRC activities in Iraq in 2009 – Facts and figures

The Daily Telegaph (10/02/10): Sir Andrew Green: the public are too polite on immigration

The Daily Telegraph (10/02/10: Reading: a Babel of dialects

The Daily Telegraph (10/02/10): Immigrants 'exploiting loophole at Stansted Airport to enter the country'

The Daily Telegraph (09/02/10): Mothers go on hunger strike at immigration centre after being separated from children

The Guardian (09/02/10): Police 'ignore' rights of sex trafficking victims

The Guardian (09/02/10): Yarl's Wood women on hunger strike 'locked up and denied treatment'

The Guardian (08/02/10): Spain sees sixfold increase in immigrants over decade

Amnesty International (08/02/10): Afghanistan: No impunity for war criminals

BBC News (08/02/10): Did immigration transform Britain by accident?

BBC News (08/02/10): Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict 

BBC News (07/02/10): French police close down illegal migrant shelter

The Daily Telegraph (07/02/10): Free flights for east Europe homeless

The Observer (07/02/10): Jobless migrants living in shanty towns offered free flights home

The Daily Telegraph (06/02/10): Joanna Lumley re-opens Gurkha battle

Human Rights Watch (05/02/10): Thailand: Cease Intimidation of Karen Refugees

Refugees International (05/02/10): UN Security Council: Progress on Sudan, Stagnancy on Somalia

The Guardian (05/02/10): Hideously diverse Britain: Born-again Britons at a citizenship ceremony 

Human Rights Watch (04/02/10): Kenya: Landmark Ruling on Indigenous Land Rights

The Daily Telegraph (04/02/2010): Nigerian prince would rather be sent back to torture than stay in "useless" Britain 

The Guardian (04/02/10): Solidarity is not an offence 

The Daily Telegraph (04/02/10): Failure to deport foreign criminals costs £60m a year

Human Rights Watch (04/02/10): Italy: Speed Investigations of Rosarno Attacks 

Human Rights Watch (03/02/10): EU: Follow Swiss Example of Accepting Guantanamo Detainees

BBC News (03/02/10): Timeline: Sudan 

The Guardian (03/02/10): Target apathy to stop the BNP

Exhibitions

An exhibition by the portrait photographer Rankin entitled From Congo with Love is currently featuring in a large exhibition being held at London's South Bank.  The exhibition has been develope din conjunction with Oxfam and displays "images and stories exploring romantic love, love lost, mother's love and the kindness of strangers, as well as photos taken by Congolese villagers with Rankin's guidance, providing an extraordinary insight into their everyday life."  There is also a book to accompany the exhibtion entitled `We Are Congo' which is available to purchase online. 

Image Copyright: Rankin / Oxfam.

Courses

Cultural aspects of working with refugees and asylum seekers, Leeds, 13 May 2010, organised by The Refugee Council, costs apply.  Further Details.  To Book, contact The Refugee Council: training@refugeecouncil.org.uk (Source: The Network).

Publications

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (09/02/10): Press Release:  Human Rights Commission’s Annual Report 2008-2009  The full and final report in PDF fomrat is also available to download: Here.

Stop Press: A Late Addition, New Report by the Refugee Council

From the Refugee Council web site:

Protection sensitive borders

Remote Controls: how UK border controls are endangering the lives of refugees [Refugee Council, 2008]

The Refugee Council is concerned that the plethora of UK border controls placed overseas and aimed at preventing irregular migration is preventing refugees fleeing from their own countries and getting to a place of safety. This study is the result of a one year research project by the Refugee Council and explores the various overseas UK border controls and their impact on refugees.

The report includes evidence gathered during a field visit to Turkey, a key country of transit for many refugees coming to the UK. The Refugee Council found that the UK’s overseas border controls may risk refugees being sent back to countries where they face persecution. The report contains recommendations as to protection safeguards the UK should put in place to ensure that refugees are not put at such risk and are able to access protection.

Full Report (88p) Available online at: Download the report (PDF)

Supplementary Report Information at: information around the report

Refugee Council Press release: View the Press Release.

Posted in: Publications.

P.S. This should hopefully now be the last posting for 2008.

Conferences and Training Events

Conferences and Training Events

Refugee Council One Day Course: ‘Age assessment awareness and working with age-disputed children.

15^th October 2008.

Full details can be found on the Refugee Council website at: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/eventsandtraining/training/service/fulldetails.htm

Refugee Council Two Day Course: Key issues in asylum & Introduction to asylum support.

10^th & 11^th November 2008.

Full details can be found on the Refugee Council website at: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/eventsandtraining/training/service/fulldetails.html

Managing economic migration and its impacts

19 Nov 2008, London
The Institute for Employment Studies annual public employment policy conference. Full details can be found at the following web link:

http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/policy/event.php?id=191108p

Posted in: Conferences & Events.

Conferences, Events and Calls for Papers

Call for papers for the workshop on 'Environmental Change and Migration:
Evidence and Developing Norms for Response'. This conference is being organised by the Refugee Studies Centre and the International Migration Institute and will be held on 8 and 9 January 2009 in Oxford.

Further details can be found on the Refugee Studies website at: http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/conf_conferences.html

A conference on Refugee Warehousing, Pittsburgh, organised by FORGE and which will take place at Pittsburgh, (USA), between 10-12 October. Full details available online at: www.refugeeconference.org.

Forced Migration Review issue 33 - to be published in May 2009 - will
include a feature on 'Protracted displacement situations'. The deadline for submission of articles will be: 18 January 2009
See www.fmreview.org/protracted.htm
<http://www.fmreview.org/protracted.htm> for full details.

One day course – 12 November: ‘Working with interpreters’
An invaluable course for anyone who uses interpreters on a regular basis. The course offers guidance on good practice when working with interpreters to ensure you are acting within the law and in the best interests of your client.

To book please email training@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Fees: £99 reduced rate (NGO or voluntary organisation), £160 standard rate (statutory/educational body/business)
Course venue: Refugee Council, 240 – 250 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BB

Posted in: Conferences & Events.

Refugee Council: Training & Conferences

OUR CURRENT SCHEDULED TRAINING COURSES ARE:

• Emotional wellbeing of refugee children and young people [8 May]

• Key issues in asylum [23 June]

• An introduction to asylum support [24 June]

To receive DETAILS OF NEW COURSE DATES as they are scheduled please sign-up for our training newsletter at: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/sign-up. For full details of all our training courses, please visit: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/training.

THE INFORMATION SERVICE: UPDATED TO GIVE YOU THE LATEST FACTS AT YOUR FINGER-TIPS

Easy to use, authoritative and up-to-date, the subscription based Information Service contains over 240 pages of relevant policy information, best practice and illustrative case studies, as well as current lists of useful services, resources and organisations. Subscribers receive 12 monthly update inserts, to keep their binder up-to-date, all for £100 (statutory bodies) or £50 (voluntary).

View FREE SAMPLE PAGES at: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/informationservice

EXTERNAL CONFERENCE NEWS

Why am I waiting? A conference from the British Association for Adoption & Fostering examining care for BME children, 15 May, London
Information and booking from: www.baaf.org.uk, conferences@baaf.org.uk

Posted in: News.

Refugee Council Training & Conferences

REFUGEE COUNCIL TRAINING & CONFERENCES

Key issues in asylum
New summer date announced: 7 August in London
Hopefully the pace in your office is slowing a little as people take their summer holidays, giving you time to get round to those jobs you’ve been meaning to do for ages. Maybe you want to take this chance to pick up some new skills? In which case why not come along to our introductory course, 'Key issues in asylum', which covers the 2006 Immigration and Nationality Bill and the New Asylum Model.

Building Communities: equality and diversity in action
Leeds, 7 November 2007
London, 28 November 2007
With the recent publication of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion’s report 'Our shared future' and the launch in October 2007 of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, these important and timely conferences seek to clarify the legislative background to refugee integration and examine current policy and practice in this area. http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/eventsandtraining/conferences/buildingcommunities.htm

Refugee Council Policy Briefing

Updated Policy Publication:

Right to work : Social Exclusion, Refugee Integration, and the Right to Work for Asylum Seekers [July 2007] http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/policy/briefings/2007/righttowork.htm

Refugee Council Newsletter

REFUGEE COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
16 JULY 2007

News review - Poliblog - News and Press Releases - New applying for asylum
leaflet - Refugees into Teaching briefings - Policy publications - IAP
newsletter


NEWS REVIEW
This week's news review looks at the continuing refugee crisis in Iraq and
renewed calls to suspend deportations to the Congo following evidence of the
mortal danger returned asylum seekers face there. We also highlight a range
of reports on refugee issues including on migrants' access to health care, on
the situation of refugees worldwide and on the case for an amnesty for
migrants working in the UK illegally.
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/reviews/newsreview.htm


POLIBLOG
Our Politics blog continues to be updated regularly, now with a second
blogger who is a new addition to the Refugee Council's Parliamentary team.
http://refugeecouncil.typepad.com/poliblog


NEWS
Refugee Council gives evidence to the Iraq Commission
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/news/2007/June/20070713.htm


PRESS RELEASES
Refugee Council response to High Court ruling on removals to third countries
2 July 2007
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/press/2007/july/20070702_b.htm

Featherstone school students to meet MP in asylum campaign
2 July 2007
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/press/2007/july/20070702.htm


NEW APPLYING FOR ASYLUM LEAFLET
An updated version of our basic 'Applying for Asylum' leaflet is now
available, with versions in two new languages, Albanian and Punjabi.
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/practice/multilingual/advisers/general/apply
asylum.htm
These are also available via our multilingual website:
http://languages.refugeecouncil.org.uk/


REFUGEES INTO TEACHING: POLICY AND INFORMATION BRIEFINGS
An new page in the Refugees into Teaching part of our website collects
together both general information and policy briefings relating to the
project.
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/howwehelp/partners/partnership/refugees+into
+teaching/briefings.htm


POLICY PUBLICATIONS

Case resolution
Update on case resolutions: Questionnaires sent to 6,000 families [July 2007]
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/policy/briefings/2007/caseresolution.htm

'Delays in processing asylum claims can be unlawful'
This briefing outlines a recent Court of Appeal ruling on an asylum claim
affected by delays in processing it [July 2007]
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/policy/briefings/2007/delays.htm


ASYLUM SUPPORT INTER AGENCY PARTNERSHIP

Latest newsletter: July 2007
This edition features: Integration Loan Information, the new loans, what they
mean and how to get one Changes to Section 55 team- the work will now be
regionalised and Section 55 team will close New Asylum Model update Zimbabwe
case update - Zimbabwean refused asylum seekers are currently not being
forcibly removed as a new Zimbabwe Country Guidance case is scheduled.
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/howwehelp/partners/partnership/iapnewsletter
.htm

New policy documents page
One of the roles of the interagency co-ordination team is to promote the
development of effective and appropriate policies to support asylum seekers.
The
partnership's policy papers can now be found on the Refugee Council's
website.
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/howwehelp/partners/partnership/IAPpolicy.htm



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Refugee Council e-shop

From the Refugee Council:

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new e-shop. Our publications are now available to be purchased online with a credit or debit card via WorldPay's secure transaction site.

Our publications cover refugee issues and refugee stories as well as many resources for primary and secondary schools.

Books like 'Credit to the Nation' or 'My name came up' are excellent background resources on the refugee experience while our bilingual books and workbooks are useful for working with children where English is not their first language. There are also key esources linked with the curriculum such as 'Refugees: We left because we had to' and a wide range of other resources useful for those working in the refugee and asylum sector.

Go to www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/e-shop
or
Find it in the Practical advice section: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/e-shop