Naome Kakunguwo: Zimbabwean Grandmother Facing Removal
After 13 years in the UK, 60-year-old Naome is facing forced removal on Friday 27 June. She may never see her daughter and grandchildren again. Her support group in Liverpool is trying to mount a legal challenge, but they need more time. That's where you can help. Naome is asking that you take action to stop her flight, so the lawyers can prepare a case.
Urgently got to Naome's campaign page <>here . . . .

More than 1,000 killed in Iraq Violence in June
At least 1,000 people, mainly civilians, have been killed and roughly the same number injured in fighting and other violence in Iraq in June as Sunni militants swept through the north, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Victims include a number of confirmed summary executions committed by forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and prisoners killed by retreating Iraqi forces.

At least 757 civilians were killed and 599 injured in the northern provinces of Nineveh, Diyala and Saladdin from June 5-22, U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news briefing."This figure - which should be viewed very much as a minimum - includes a number of verified summary executions and extra-judicial killings of civilians, police, and soldiers who were hors combat," he said. Others died in shelling and cross-fire. At least another 318 people were killed and 590 injured during the same period in Baghdad and areas to the south. 
Read more: Alert Net, <> 24/06/14

Serco Apology After Dismissals Related to Yarl's Wood Allegations
Outsourcing firm Serco has apologised after disclosing that 10 of its staff had been dismissed in relation to allegations of improper sexual contact with female detainees at the Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre.

Appearing before the Commons home affairs committee, Serco executives said that the dismissals related to eight separate cases – out of a total of 31 which had been investigated – at the centre in Bedfordshire over the past seven years.

The chief executive of Serco's UK central government division, Dr Bob McGuiness, said: "We set very high standards for ourselves and our staff. On those instances where we have fallen short of the standards that we have set for ourselves, I absolutely am sorry and apologise for these cases."

The firm was summoned to appear before the committee after the Observer disclosed details of an internal report into an investigation into the claims by a 29-year-old woman from Pakistan that she was sexually assaulted a male Serco health worker.
Read more: Guardian <>24/06/14

Asylum Research Consultancy (ARC) COI Update Volume 82
This document provides an update of Country Guidance case law and UKBA publications and developments in refugee producing countries between 9th June and 24th June 2014 - Volume 82  <>here . . .

Wamala v The Home Office & Anor [2014] EWHC 2039 (QB)
17. It informed the claimant that the UKBA was not prepared to defer the directions that were in place for his removal. The UKBA served Reliance Escorts, the second defendant, with an immigration detainee/movement notification Form IS278 for removal of the claimant from Brook House IRC to Heathrow TN3. That contained typed details of the departure date and time as the 24th December at 14:00 hours destination- Uganda and flight number MS778. Both the time and flight number were struck through and manually amended to read 20:30 and QR 2 respectively. There is a dispute between the first and second defendant as to who carried out that amendment.

19. A further claim for judicial review was issued in May 2012. The current proceedings claiming damages for assault were started in October 2012 under reference HQ12 X04 287. In March 2013 the judicial review claim was resolved on the basis that the claimant would not be removed until his claim for damages was substantively concluded.

28. Although the first defendant delegated her functions to a private security firm it cannot be right that such a firm has wider powers than an immigration officer. There is no basis for that in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Section 156 (1)(b) is expressly tied to removal directions and provides no power to authorise a detainee custody officer in broader circumstances. Absent any valid removal directions others acting under delegated authority from the first defendant have no power to remove. Schedule 13 of the 1999 Act does not provide a power to remove a person or put them onto or off an aircraft.

48. It is accepted as a result of a response to a part 18 response that no removal direction was issued for Qatar Airways flight QR 002 for the claimant's removal to Doha at 20:30 hours on the 24th December 2011. No notification of removal by that flight was given by the first defendant to either the claimant or his solicitor. There were, therefore, no valid removal directions for the Qatar flight.
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2014/2039.html

Deportation: Somalia
Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue enforced removals to Mogadishu, Somalia, pending the publication of an official decision on the country guidance case and an official statement by the Home Secretary; and, if so, why.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): There are no existing court judgments that have found that all removals to Somalia are unsafe or should be suspended. An existing country guidance judgment promulgated in November 2011 recognised that many but not all Somalis returning to the country after a significant time abroad would be at risk on return. However, the determination also recognised that the country situation was improving and each case needed to be considered on its individual merits.

We are awaiting a country guidance determination on the country situation in Somalia. However, the High Court has previously ruled that automatic stays on removal simply because a country guidance case is pending are not necessary. A stay of removal is at the discretion of the courts in each particular case and on its own facts.

We will continue to assess each case on its individual merits against the latest country information and existing, relevant case law.

We will only enforce the return of Somali nationals who we, and the courts, are satisfied are not at risk on return and who do not elect to leave voluntarily.
House of Lords: 23 Jun 2014 : Column <>WA116

No More Immigration Detention – Freedom for all Migrants

Noise Demonstration Friday 27th June Holloway Prison

The Anti Raids Network invites you and your groups, friends, and family to join us for a noise demonstration outside HMP Holloway, Parkhurst Road, London (N7 0NU) Friday 27th June, 7:00pm

The Anti Raids Network calls a demonstration outside Holloway prison to demand an end of the detention and criminalisation of migrants. In the UK, the state uses prisons as well as detention centres to detain an increasing number of migrants. The demonstration is outside Holloway HMP, a women's prison, to highlight the injustices which migrant women and the poor are subjected to a system which criminalises survival, poverty and immigration status. Many imprisoned are survivors of sexual abuse and torture; pregnant women and children are also detained for months, sometimes years, creating severe physical and mental health issues. Mothers are often separated from their children in detention. There are also many known cases of racist, physical and sexual abuse by guards in detention centres.

When around 70 women in Yarl's Wood detention centre went on hunger strike in 2010 to demand better conditions for migrants and an end to detentions, their protests were met with severe repression, and four of the women were transferred to prison, two of them to Holloway HMP. They were held without charge for over a year. Detention is inhumane and murderous.

On the 30th of March 2014, Christine Case, a national of Jamaica aged 40, died in Yarl's Wood detention centre of a heart attack, when her screams were unattended by guards. Since 2007 there has been 1425 recorded attempted suicides across the UK detention estate. Migrant women are also at the mercy of the murderous police force. We remember Joy Gardner, murdered by police and immigration officers in her home in 1993 for overstaying her visa.

We will make noise to show solidarity with and demand freedom for our sisters in prison.

Bring pots, pans, drums, banners or just yourself.

See you there, The Anti Raids Network <> (ARN)

47 Charter Flights Removed 2,463 Migrants April 2013/March 2014

'No-Deportations' asked for information regarding Home Office charter flights which remove individuals from the UK who no longer have a legal right to remain (covering the financial year April 2013 to March 2014).

Immigration Enforcement response: The answers to your questions fall to be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I will answer your questions in order.

How many Charter Flights were there? - 47

What were the destination countries? - Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Jordan, Suriname, Kosovo and Albania.

How many returnees were: Males - 2,290 - Females - 173 - Children - 0

What was the total cost? The total cost was £12,664,191.98. It should be noted that 50% of these costs are covered by the European Union.

Defend Orashia! - Removal Directions Set for Wednesday 2nd July
Orashia Edwards is a 32 year old bisexual asylum seeker from Jamaica. After having being in the UK for years, living with his family in Leeds, he is at risk of forced removal to Jamaica, where his life is at risk. Orashia has removal directions for 2 July.

It is no surprise then that Orashia, coming from a country once deemed "the most homophobic country on earth", has had to hide his sexual identity even to his own family. However, since moving to Leeds, thanks to the amazing support of LGBT groups such as MESMAC and ReachOUT, Orashia was able to tell his family about his sexuality, be open about having male partners and be active on the Leeds gay scene.

Leeds No Borders, who have been supporting Orashia and his family in their campaign for justice, says "[Orashia] was finally starting to get his life back together but everything changed when he was detained at UKBA Waterside Court in early December."
< >Read more and find out what you can do

Bristol is His Home and there Hussein Must Stay!
Hussein was a member of a political group opposed to the dictatorship in Chad. His best friend, cousin and father were all arrested and disappeared in 2010 and the authorities were looking for him. He fled to Italy, but in his asylum interview they stopped him giving important information, then refused his case with no explanation and no chance of appeal.  He then found that his life was also in danger in Italy, he was threatened by groups connected to the Chad dictatorship.

He had to leave and came to the UK, which has no historical links to Chad. He thought it would be safe and to claim asylum, but the Home Office has refused to hear his case. Instead the UK wants to deport him on 20th June to Italy under the Dublin III regulation, where his life remains in danger. The Italian asylum system is under severe pressure, people wait for years in overcrowded immigration prisons and the chances of a fair hearing for Hussein's case in Italy are very low.
<>Read more and find out what you can do

Early Day Motion 157: Humanitarian Situation In Yemen
That this House acknowledges the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen; understands that 11.9 million people live below the poverty line, that 60 per cent of children are suffering from chronic malnourishment and that a quarter of a million children are facing death as a result of this; notes that poverty, drought and internal armed conflict are contributing to the country's difficulties in shifting towards stable democracy; welcomes the UK's continuous support for the offering of food, shelter and clean water to help reduce the severity of the crisis; and calls on the Government to do as much as it can to ensure that as many Yemeni people as possible can have a better quality of life and to help the country shift to stable democracy. House of Commons:<>23.06.2014

Broken Camp, Broken Lives, Vigilante Attacks on Roma
Within hours of 16-year-old Darius being snatched, beaten and left for dead in a supermarket trolley near a Paris motorway, his Roma family had disappeared. All that was left of their improvised camp was the ubiquitous detritus of the impoverished: an old car tyre; an empty gas canister; a plastic bucket; threadbare clothes hung out to dry on piles of wood. As Darius lay on a life support machine in a Paris hospital, the prospect of too many police asking too many questions prompted the dozens of Roma at Pierrefitte-sur-Seine to pack up their few belongings and scurry for another dark and squalid corner where they could hide in broad daylight.

Vigilante "justice" had been dispensed, life for some of the poorest people in European society went on. More than a week later no arrests have been made and nobody has visited Darius in hospital. There is little sympathy for the youth in the Cité des Poètes (Poets' Estate), a housing project at Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, where it was rumoured – and nothing more than rumoured – that he had been caught breaking into an apartment.

In the Seine-Saint-Denis department, known as "the 93" after its postcode, a collection of suburban communes riddled with unemployment and rundown tower blocks that make them a powder-keg for rioting and violence, the estate is home to the poorest of the poor. Here, where 35% exist on or below the poverty line, unemployment hovers around 33%, and one-third of the population was born outside France, violence is a fact of life and there is a feeling that Darius got what he deserved. The suggestion that a youth who had nothing might have tried to thieve from those who have very little stirred particular resentment. "They are in the same shit as us, but they shamelessly steal everything they see," one resident told journalists.
Read more: Kim Willsher, Observer, <> 22/06/14

US Supreme Court Ruling In Favour Of Vulture Funds
That this House notes with concern the US Supreme Court's rejection of an appeal by Argentina against a ruling that it must repay in full creditors who purchased Argentinian debt at a discount on the secondary market, with the intention of extorting full payment; disagrees with the Court's decision to prioritise the greed of vulture funds over the Argentinian people's sovereignty and the country's ability to repay its legitimate creditors; observes that this case sets a worrying precedent and creates a disincentive for creditors to negotiate rather than demanding full payment; further notes that vulture funds have made sizeable donations to the Republican party and that Republican judges form a majority on the Supreme Court; expresses support for the people of Argentina, who should not be penalised in order to make hedge fund owners even more obscenely wealthy; supports the Argentinian government in prioritising the country's financial wellbeing over paying vulture funds; believes that it is unacceptable to purchase debt at the height of a debt crisis with the sole aim of profiting by suing the issuing country at the expense of its citizens; further expresses concern that if a similar case were to be heard in the UK courts, the same ruling in favour of vulture funds could be reached, unless the country concerned was one of the 40 covered by the Debt Relief Act 2010; and calls on the Government to bring forward the necessary legislative proposals to prevent this.

Sponsors: Godsiff, Roger / Corbyn, Jeremy - <> House of Commons:

£5 Damages For 11 Months Unlawful Detention
Accordingly, whilst his imprisonment between 23 October 2007 and 9 September 2008 was unlawful, he is entitled to only nominal damages since he sustained no compensable loss. I would set those damages at £5. The Claimant's challenge to the remainder of the first period of detention and to the second period of detention is dismissed.
Cente Sheikh Noor Mohammed, R (on the application of) v SSHD

UNHCR Position on Forced Returns to Southern/Central Somalia
9. Under the present circumstances, UNHCR urges States to refrain from forcibly returning any persons to areas of Southern and Central Somalia that are affected by military action and/or ensuing displacement, remain fragile and insecure after recent military action, or remain under control of non-State groups. For Somalis from these areas, eligibility for international refugee protection under the 1951 Convention and in the African Union, under the 1969 OAU Convention12 should be considered; many of them are likely to meet the criteria for refugee status under one or both of these Conventions.13 General non-refoulement obligations under international human rights law may also be engaged in the context of forcible return of Somalis to Southern and Central Somalia.
Published on Refworld, <> 17/06/14