Around the Campaigns Friday 18th June 2010
Kiana Firouz is Here to Stay
LGBT Asylum News has confirmed that Iranian lesbian Kiana Firouz has received 'leave to remain' in the UK - saving her from removal to Iran after two refusals, originally and at appeal. Kiana has been the focus of the largest ever international campaign for an LGBT asylum seeker, with 45,161 people signing a petition.
LGBT published Kiana's statement back in April.
Iranian lesbian makes her appeal against removal by UK authorities
Many thanks to all who supported
LGBT advocate network
Legal Aid Payments [ Kenneth Clarke tells RMJ to get stuffed ]
Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD) ( Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the consequences of the timing of legal aid payments to the charity Refugee and Migrant Justice.
Kenneth Clarke: However, it is crucial that the Government achieve value for public money. The fixed fee system introduced three years ago by the last Government is already being successfully used by the vast majority of not-for-profit organisations in this area of law. As other organisations have successfully made the transition, it is only reasonable to expect Refugee and Migrant Justice to do the same. I know that the system is not popular; I know that the Law Society does not like it, but in these difficult times I am not going to go back on it, because it does provide value for money.
Full statement: House of Commons / 17 Jun 2010 : Column 1023
So please try and make the demo to defend RMJ later today
Details place & time below
http://www.freemovement.org.uk/
UK border officials 'beat deported Iraqis'
Iraqi asylum seekers deported from the UK have said that they were beaten by UK Border Agency (UKBA) personnel to get them on and off the plane. It is believed 42 Iraqi men were sent back to Baghdad in a forced return. Thirty-six are reported to be still being held at Baghdad airport where they arrived early on Thursday. The UKBA declined to comment on the specific allegations, but said minimum force would only be used as a last resort. The deportation was carried out by the UK Border Agency in conditions of complete secrecy, with no information of any kind being given out.
Full story: Jim Muir, BBC News, 18/06/10
Freedom - but not for all
The government's much vaunted freedom agenda entrenches a two-tier system of rights, with migrants and other unpopular minorities largely excluded. The Freedom or Great Repeal Bill has not yet been published. But when it is, black, Muslim and migrant communities will be watching to see whether they are included in deputy prime minister Nick Clegg's, promise, in his 19 May 2010 speech, of 'sweeping legislation to restore the hard-won liberties that have been taken one by one from the British people'. So far, the signs are not good.
Full article: Frances Webber, Institute of Race Relations
UN reports 400,000 displaced in Kyrgyzstan fighting
United Nations officials estimate that 400,000 people have been driven from their homes in the wake of the inter-ethnic disturbances in southern Kyrgyzstan. lisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the UN refuge agency said the number of people driven from their homes but still inside Kyrgyzstan is 300,000. Another 100,000 fled as refugees to neighboring Uzbekistan.
Full article: Telegraph 17/06/10 |