Now 31, woman tells of shying away from teaching jobs because of criminal record checks flagging up minor incident
Natasha* was 16 when she was reported to the police while standing outside a fish and chip shop with a noisy group of friends.
She had never been in trouble before but there was a local ban on teenagers gathering in big groups. She was one of a handful who did not run away in time.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Document published this year does not mention asylum seekers as priority group for ‘intrusive policy’
The Home Office appears to have contradicted its own guidance on GPS tagging, which prioritised “very high harm offenders”, after it announced the devices would be used on asylum seekers arriving in the UK.
An 86-page guidance document titled “Immigration Bail” was published on 31 January 2022. It includes a large section about the GPS tagging of migrants and does not mention asylum seekers who have not committed crimes as a priority group for GPS tagging.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Priti Patel’s illogical thought experiment on asylum seekers is grist to Boris Johnson’s Brexit mill
Philosophers delight in the concept of Schrödinger’s cat, a cat that is both inside a box and outside a box at the same time. (Ironically, the somewhat scatty Erwin Schrödinger himself had forgotten that he owned two identical cats, one of which liked boxes while the other hated them, explaining his confusion.) One day, philosophers will also discuss the idea of Schrödinger’s Rwanda: a place at once so awful that the very thought of being deported there will deter asylum seekers from crossing the Channel and yet simultaneously so brilliant that asylum seekers should be delighted to be sent there with no possibility of ever coming back to the UK. The human traffickers who send people across the Channel are despicable. And so their victims, many of them already having enjoyed torture and abuse at home, must be further punished by being deported to Rwanda. It’s an illogicality that Alice in Wonderland would have seen through in an instant. And so did the European court of human rights. Off with their heads!
It’s very early on a Thursday morning and I am still tapping away, alone with black coffee and toast. Reality is kaleidoscoping. I could have filed this week’s so-called “funny column” ™ ® at midday yesterday, 18 hours ago, as I have every right so to do. But I fell asleep listening to Priti Patel dissembling on Rwanda, following prime minister’s questions at lunchtime, after she was trapped in a net made of hard facts and human decency by her opposite number, Yvette Cooper. Nyaaagh! It burns! It burns!! I’m melting!!!
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Rights campaigners say ‘appalling’ pilot scheme treats those fleeing conflict and persecution as criminals
Refugee rights campaigners have described a new Home Office scheme to electronically tag asylum seekers as “appalling”, saying the move treats people fleeing conflict and persecution as criminals.
Under a 12-month pilot, which began on Wednesday, some people arriving in the UK in small boats or in the back of lorries will be electronically tagged.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Human rights committee including peers says public order bill lacks nuance and targets peaceful protests
MPs and peers have accused ministers of creating a “hostile environment” for peaceful protests with its proposals for new policing powers.
The draft public order bill includes a new offence of “locking on”, which relates to demonstrators attaching themselves to something so they cannot be removed. It carries a maximum sentence of up to 51 weeks in prison.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
After cancellation of Africa flight, home secretary tries to stem claims from refugees hoping to stay in UK
Priti Patel has been accused by Labour of participating in a “government by gimmick” in the aftermath of the 11th-hour cancellation on Tuesday of the inaugural flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda.
As the home secretary entertained demands from Conservative backbenchers to pull out of Europe’s human rights framework after the policy was scuppered by a court ruling, Labour said the plan to transport refugees 4,000 miles away was never a “serious policy”.
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This live blog is now closed
This is what Šefčovič said about the UK bill in his opening statement.
Let there be no doubt: there is no legal nor political justification whatsoever for unilaterally changing an international agreement.
Opening the door to unilaterally changing an international agreement is a breach of international law as well.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
After ruling by Strasbourg court, No 10 refuses to rule out withdrawing from European convention on human rights
Priti Patel was accused by Labour of overseeing a “shambles” and participating in a “government by gimmick” after the 11th-hour cancellation of the first plane carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The home secretary disclosed that some cancelled Rwandan flight passengers will be released into the community wearing tags, as she promised to continue to pursue the policy of outsourcing refugees to the east African state.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
First deportation flight of asylum seekers was grounded after input from European court of human rights
After the first deportation flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda was abandoned following a dramatic 11th-hour intervention from the European court of human rights, the government insisted it was only a “temporary setback”. As some Conservative MPs are expected to renew calls for the UK to withdraw from the ECHR, here are some key questions surrounding its role in this case.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Thérèse Coffey says she is sure government will go back to European court of human rights over decision
The UK is likely to challenge the European court of human rights ruling that stopped the deportation to Rwanda of people seeking asylum and is already preparing for the next flight, a cabinet minister has said.
Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, played down the idea that the UK could withdraw from the European convention on human rights in response to the court’s decision, which halted the flight on Tuesday night.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
The home secretary says she is disappointed at the failure of the deportations, but she must rethink this terrible policy
Who knows what lies in store for the men who received a last-minute reprieve from being shipped thousands of miles across the globe to Rwanda.
The UK government still wants to press ahead: Priti Patel pronounced herself disappointed. But have no doubt, Tuesday night’s botched attempt – halted after a legal injunction from the European court of human rights – is a watershed moment: in government policymaking, in the country’s global standing and for our collective moral compass.
Enver Solomon is chief executive of the Refugee Council
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com
Are attitudes to refugees changing? Join Annie Kelly, Sophie Lucas, Zahra Joya and Shabia Mantoo who will be discussing the issue. On Thursday 16 June 2022, 8pm–9pm BST. Book tickets here
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
First flight to Rwanda grounded after lawyers make successful emergency application
Boris Johnson’s plan to send an inaugural flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda has been abandoned after a dramatic 11th-hour ruling by the European court of human rights.
Up to seven people who had come to the UK seeking refuge had been expected to be removed to the east African country an hour and a half before the flight was due to take off.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
You can watch the Sturgeon press conference here.
Sturgeon is now taking questions.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Survivors of torture and trafficking must be able to present their case in a fair and lawful way. That simply isn’t happening
Yesterday, my organisation lost its bid to have an urgent injunction put in place to prevent any flights to Rwanda carrying refugees from leaving the UK, until after a full hearing on whether the policy is lawful next month. Our case is one of two applications brought forward by coalitions of charities and activists Unfortunately, both of these applications have been rejected, which means that flights are due to take off today.
However, we are confident in our view that the way the Rwanda scheme is being implemented is unlawful and unfair. At Asylum Aid, we have over 30 years’ experience providing legal representation to asylum seekers who have experienced some of the worst cases of torture, human trafficking or gender-based violence. Some of our clients are unaccompanied children or stateless people with very complex cases. We also know how many people we unfortunately have to turn away when they ask for our help, and we know what it takes to provide it.
Kerry Smith is CEO of Asylum Aid
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com
This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Body criticises plan to grant conditional immunity to people accused of murder in Northern Ireland conflict
The Council of Europe has rebuked the UK over a plan to grant conditional immunity to people accused of murder and other offences during the Northern Ireland Troubles.
The body, which oversees the European court of human rights (ECHR), on Friday accused the government of not consulting stakeholders and expressed concern over the stated intention to pull the plug on inquests.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Asylum Aid applies for an urgent interim injunction to stop flights in challenge to Priti Patel’s offshoring policy
The Home Office’s first flight to Rwanda under the home secretary’s offshoring plan is facing a second injunction which aims to stop it from taking off.
A refugee charity, Asylum Aid, has applied for an urgent interim injunction preventing any flights from taking place, including the one scheduled on Tuesday, until after its application for a judicial review can be heard.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Assailed by a hostile press, police and judiciary, Michael Vidler left the city with pride at having tried to improve the lives of ordinary people
Michael Vidler has built his legal career on fighting for the “little guy” in Hong Kong, from high-profile street protesters such as Joshua Wong to little-known LGBT activists.
But not any more. After 30 years in the city, the 58-year-old human rights lawyer has been forced to flee back to Britain because of concerns about the Beijing-drafted national security law and “unfounded allegations” from the increasingly bellicose state-controlled press.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Group who worked with UK media to sue government over failure to relocate them to Britain
A group of Afghan journalists who worked closely with the UK media for years have revealed how they face beatings, death threats and months in hiding, and accuse the government of reneging on a pledge to bring them to Britain.
Having fought in vain for clearance to come to the UK since the return of Taliban rule last summer, the eight journalists are now taking legal action against the government. They have applied for a judicial review after waiting months for their applications to relocate to the UK to be processed. They report only receiving standard response emails from the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) programme.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Federico Soda said there needed to be ‘more condemnation’ of the conditions in state-run detention centres in Libya
Europe has been accused by a senior international official of acquiescence in the plight of thousands of migrants in Libya held in arbitrary detention in “deplorable conditions”.
Federico Soda, chief of mission at the International Organisation for Migration’s mission in Libya, said not enough was being done by outside actors to try to change the war-torn country’s “environment of arbitrary detention and deplorable conditions” for migrants.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
The government’s bill of rights proposal will weaken the public’s right to challenge abuse, says Geoffrey Bindman
Rafael Behr correctly identifies the government’s threat to replace the Human Rights Act with a bill of rights as “government by gesture and culture war provocation” (Inane and Orwellian: a Queen’s speech to improve the life of Boris Johnson, 10 May). The Human Rights Act incorporates the rights set out in the European convention on human rights. Jack Straw MP, home secretary when it was introduced in 1998, referred to it as “bringing rights home”. No new rights were created, but thereafter British citizens could pursue them in our own courts instead of making the journey to Strasbourg. That route remains available because the government has committed itself to our remaining party to the convention.
The government’s independent Human Rights Act review, chaired by the retired lord justice of appeal Sir Peter Gross, reported on 14 December 2021. It found that the act was working well and there was no case for its repeal. Ignoring this advice, Dominic Raab issued a consultation paper on his bill of rights proposal, which met almost total rejection from those who responded.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Fawzia Amini advocates for rights of Afghan women and girls from London hotel room she’s been stuck in for nine months
One of Afghanistan’s top female judges has been honoured with an international human rights award while she continues her work to advocate for her country’s women and girls from a London hotel.
Fawzia Amini, 48, fled Afghanistan last summer after the Taliban takeover of the country. She had been one of Afghanistan’s leading female judges, former head of the legal department at the Ministry of Women, senior judge in the supreme court, and head of the violence against women court.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Forty-two hunger strikers are part of group of 89 Sri Lankans whose boat was intercepted in Indian Ocean by UK military
Dozens of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who have been detained for more than seven months in a military base on an overseas territory claimed by Britain have gone on hunger strike in despair at their plight.
The 42 hunger strikers are part of a group of 89 Sri Lankans, including 20 children, whose boat was intercepted and escorted to Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean by the British military after running into distress while apparently headed to Canada from India in October.
Jenny Jones says bill, named after girl who died of asthma, treats pollution as matter of social justice
A new clean air law is starting out in parliament after the Green party peer Jenny Jones won first place in the House of Lords ballot for private members’ bills.
Named Ella’s law, as a tribute to nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah who died from asthma induced by air pollution, the bill would establish a right to clean air and set up a commission to oversee government actions and progress. It would also join policies on indoor and outdoor air pollution with actions to combat our climate emergency, and include annual reviews of the latest science.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Director of Stonewall Scotland speaks to parliamentarians as they take evidence on draft bill
MSPs have been urged to keep foremost in their minds that trans people are “human beings wanting to go about their daily lives”, as a Holyrood committee begins taking evidence on a draft bill that aims to streamline the process by which an individual can change their legal sex.
Colin Macfarlane, the director of Stonewall Scotland, told members of the Scottish parliament’s equalities, human rights and civil justice committee: “There has been a whipping up of a moral panic and an othering of trans people in the public discourse. Trans people are not an ideology – trans people are our friends, our family and our colleagues.”
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
UK is ‘haven for dictators’ says critic after Queen invites ruler who outlawed political opposition in Middle Eastern state to the Royal Windsor horse show
The king of Bahrain is expected to attend the Royal Windsor horse show on Sunday after a personal invitation from the Queen, prompting anger from campaigners who claim the UK is “sportswashing” what they say is an increasingly repressive regime.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has been invited as a guest of the Queen, demonstrating a warmth of official ties despite the Middle Eastern state’s outlawing of political opposition, and human rights violations including torture.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Justice secretary says safeguarding concerns must be addressed, and criticises Human Rights Act
Levi Bellfield’s request to get married in prison is “inconceivable” unless serious safeguarding concerns are addressed, Dominic Raab has said.
Bellfield, who murdered Marsha McDonnell, Amelie Delagrange and Milly Dowler, is engaged and has requested a prison wedding, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
The 1998 Human Rights Act, an outstanding legal achievement, is being taken apart simply to empower the government
After years of threats and Conservative manifesto commitments, it looks like a British “bill of rights” to scrap and replace the 1998 Human Rights Act is finally upon us. “My ministers,” read the Prince of Wales in his mother’s place on Tuesday, “will restore the balance of power between the legislature and the courts.”
But scratch the surface and you find this bill of rights to be precisely the opposite – not a document to empower ordinary people in post-Brexit Britain, but a power grab by the state. Remember, this is the prime minister who once illegally shut down parliament for irritating his political agenda – for the No 10 Praetorian Guard, “legislature” is euphemism for the “executive”.
Shami Chakrabarti was shadow attorney general for England and Wales from 2016 to 2020, and was director of Liberty from 2003 to 2016
This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Rights organisations say refugees going into hiding as Home Office admits LGBTQ+ people could face persecution in African country
Ministers’ threats to send unauthorised migrants to Rwanda are having a detrimental impact on the physical and psychological health of people seeking asylum, according to two major refugee charities.
The British Red Cross and the Refugee Council, which worked with nearly 44,000 people in the asylum process, warn that they are disappearing from hotels and are reluctant to claim support for fear of deportation, detention and other harsh measures.
A Rwandan asylum seeker who contacted the Red Cross in south-east England fearing he could be sent back to the country. He disclosed that he would be in hiding and refraining from accessing support so he is not identified by the authorities.
An Afghan man living in temporary accommodation in the east Midlands who disclosed that he had gone into hiding, fearing that he would be detained and sent to Rwanda. He said that many of his friends were in the same situation and planned to go underground.
An asylum seeker from Ethiopia based in the West Midlands said that he feels anxious about the passing of the Nationality and Borders Act and disclosed he had left his accommodation out of fear that he will be sent to Rwanda.
An Afghan asylum seeker also based in the West Midlands who said he feels he is a second-class refugee as he is not eligible for recent schemes designed to support Ukrainians.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Agenda includes bills to overhaul planning and human rights law but few new cost of living measures
Keir Starmer said Boris Johnson’s government was “bereft of ideas or purpose” after a Queen’s speech that included bills to overhaul the planning system and rewrite human rights law, but few new measures to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Warning that the UK faced a “stagflation crisis” the Labour leader said: “We need a government of the moment, with the ideas that meet the aspirations of the people.”
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
Government to announce new offences to stop protesters from ‘locking on’ to infrastructure
Boris Johnson’s government will force through police powers to prevent disruptive yet peaceful protests as one of 38 new bills in Tuesday’s Queen’s speech.
In a move to reinstate measures thrown out by the House of Lords in January, the government will announce new offences to stop protesters from “locking on” to infrastructure, extend stop and search powers, and make it illegal to obstruct transport projects.
New criminal offences of locking on, and going equipped to lock on to others, objects or buildings – carrying a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
The creation of a new criminal offence of interfering with key national infrastructure, such as airports, railways and printing presses – carrying a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison and an unlimited fine.
Measures to make it illegal to obstruct major transport works, including disrupting the construction or maintenance of projects like HS2 – punishable by up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine.
Continue reading…This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.