Pontins Served ‘Unlawful Act Notice’ Over Discrimination Against Irish Travellers
The holiday park operator Pontins has been served with an “unlawful act notice” after an investigation by the equality watchdog found multiple instances of race discrimination against Irish Travellers. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found the operator, which is owned by Britannia Jinky Jersey Ltd, committed several clear breaches of the Equality Act. The investigation found that staff at the operator labelled a list of common Irish surnames as “undesirable guests” and instructed staff to decline or cancel bookings made under those names. The EHRC also found staff had created a “banned guest” list which contained the names of people Pontins suspected to be Irish Travellers and their friends or family.
The unlawful act notice will require the holiday operator by law to produce an action plan to address how they will meet the equality watchdog’s recommendations. If they fail to do so by early April this year, the operator could face criminal sanctions. Kishwer Falkner, chair of the EHRC, said their investigation “uncovered flagrant breaches of the Equality Act”. She said: “Their business practices demonstrated shocking overt race discrimination towards Irish Travellers and there was a culture of denial. We remain deeply concerned about these discriminatory practices. They were instigated and supported by senior managers and their leadership failed to take any action or accept corporate responsibility.”
Neha Gohil, Guardian, https://shorturl.at/fWY29
Government Backs Down on Removing Safety for Asylum Seeker Accommodation
R(IAB and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The Government has withdrawn plans to exempt asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation from house in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing requirements on the eve of a final court hearing of a judicial review challenge to the proposed regulations.
In March 2023, the Government had published draft regulations intended to exempt asylum seekers accommodated by the Home Office from HMO licensing requirements for a period of two years. This would have had the effect of removing the requirement for landlords who provide such accommodation to apply for a license from the local authority, the conditions of which usually cover important safety issues such as fire safety and overcrowding.
The proposals elicited significant concerns from a range of civil society groups about the impact of the proposal on standards, health and safety and homelessness.
Read more: Doughty Street Chambers, https://shorturl.at/qvzM2
Rwanda Plan Fundamentally Flawed, Parliamentary Report Warns
A key parliamentary committee says the government's plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda is "fundamentally incompatible" with the UK's human rights safeguards. The Joint Committee on Human Rights said the legislation jeopardised the UK's international reputation. The bill will be debated in detail by the House of Lords this week and face substantial opposition.
Even if it passes, it is not clear whether flights will ever take off. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's controversial legislation was approved by MPs last month despite substantial opposition. His own party split over the plan and the then immigration minister quit, declaring it would not work. Under the scheme, which has cost £290m so far, the UK would block claims for asylum from anyone arriving over the English Channel and instead send them on a one-way trip to Rwanda. Its government has promised to consider their cases for protection.
The UK Supreme Court ruled that Rwanda was not a safe country because it could send victims of abuses, including torture, back to countries they have fled from.
Read more: Dominic Casciani, BBC News, https://shorturl.at/cgIJ7
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EDM 377: ICJ Ruling on Gaza and the UK’s Duties Under the Genocide Convention
That this House notes the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 26 January 2024, which found that it is plausible that Israel’s ongoing attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza are in breach of the Genocide Convention;
further notes that the ICJ issued provisional measures, including ordering Israel and its military to prevent acts against Palestinians in Gaza prohibited by Article II of the Genocide Convention, such as killings of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as ordering Israel to prevent and punish incitement to genocide and to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza;
supports the ICJ call for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages;
notes that as a signatory to the Genocide Convention the UK has a duty to prevent genocide and to ensure that the Convention is not breached;
believes the UK has a responsibility to act to ensure this ruling is upheld, and not to undermine it;
therefore calls on the UK Government to support the ICJ’s provisional measures;
further believes that it is not possible for Israel to fulfil the ICJ’s order without an immediate end to its military assault on Gaza;
and therefore, in light of plausible breaches of the Genocide Convention, further calls on the UK Government to demand an immediate ceasefire and suspend all arms exports to Israel.
EDM 377: Sponsored by MP’s: Zarah Sultana, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, John McDonnell, Richard Burgoan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy.
Co-Signed by 17 other MP’s: Ian Byrne, Hannah Bardell, Claire Hanna, Allan Dorans, Anne McLaughlin, Ian Mearns, Nadia Whittome, Jeremy Corbyn, Andy McDonald, Beth Winter,Tahir Ali, Ian Lavery, Kate Osborne, Grahame Morris, Mohammad Yasin, Dawn Deidre Brock Butler.
House of Commons: 07 February 2024, https://shorturl.at/efxMU
If your MP has not signed, if so minded ask them to do do!
Put Your MP to Work – Ask Them to Sign EDM 377
To find your MP go here: https://www.writetothem.com/
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