'Stateless' Asylum Seeker Found Dead in The Verne IRC
A young asylum seeker has been found dead at a Victorian jail which is still being run as a prison despite only housing people seeking refuge in Britain, The Independent has learnt. Bruno Dos Santos, who was in his 20s and has a child in the UK, was discovered in his cell at around 7.30am this morning at HMP The Verne, which is on the Isle of Portland in Dorset and dates back to the 1840s.
The prison has been used solely by the Home Office to house asylum seekers since March, but plans to convert it into an immigration removal centre have been put on hold until the autumn - meaning that it is run as a jail and detainees are kept under harsher conditions than normal. Their access to legal advice to advance their cases is also reduced. It is understood that Mr Dos Santos had been detained for a long time as he was regarded as ÒstatelessÓ and could not be sent back to his country of origin.
Read more: Chris Green, Indpendent, <> 04/06/04
Escort/Removals to Pakistan - Detainees Not Treated With Decency
Detainees were not treated with enough decency in the removal process despite some impressive care and concern from individual staff, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an inspection of escort and removals of detainees to Pakistan.
Inspectors were concerned to find that:
- some staff persisted in using control techniques that were more likely to escalate tensions than promote calm behaviour;
- It was hard to understand why escorts had still not been provided with training on the use of force in confined environments such as aircraft some two and a half years since inspectors first recommended it;
- many of the contracted staff were exhausted and could not avoid falling asleep, even when in charge of detainees identified at risk of self-harm;
- a small number of staff were unprofessional and behaved inappropriately.
- some staff engaged in juvenile behaviour and swore in the hearing of detainees, seemingly oblivious to the effect this might have.
- No interpreting services were provided, despite obvious need. This created avoidable anxiety for everyone concerned.
- Inspectors made 22 recommendations
Nick Hardwick said: "The removal was well organised and completed with little incident. However, too many of our findings replicated those at previous inspections, particularly those in relation to the dignity of detainees. Generally efficient procedures did not amount to respect for detainees who, it seemed to us, were seen as commodities to be delivered rather than as vulnerable individuals deserving of individual attention. Staff also had little awareness of important inquiry findings that should have been cascaded down to them following the death of a detainee during a scheduled flight removal in 2010."
Departure airport Stansted / Destination country Pakistan / Destination airport Islamabad
Escort contractor Tascor
Number of detainees escorted 66 Number of escort staff 124
Health care staff 3
Length of journey 18.5 hours (maximum for first detainees to be collected from an IRC)
Not Treated With Decency - Detainees were not treated with enough decency in the removal process despite some impressive care and concern from individual staff, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an inspection of escort and removals of detainees to Pakistan.
Inspectors were concerned to find that:
- some staff persisted in using control techniques that were more likely to escalate tensions than promote calm behaviour;
- It was hard to understand why escorts had still not been provided with training on the use of force in confined environments such as aircraft some two and a half years since inspectors first recommended it;
- many of the contracted staff were exhausted and could not avoid falling asleep, even when in charge of detainees identified at risk of self-harm;
- a small number of staff were unprofessional and behaved inappropriately.
- some staff engaged in juvenile behaviour and swore in the hearing of detainees, seemingly oblivious to the effect this might have.
- No interpreting services were provided, despite obvious need. This created avoidable anxiety for everyone concerned.
- Inspectors made 22 recommendations
Nick Hardwick said: "The removal was well organised and completed with little incident. However, too many of our findings replicated those at previous inspections, particularly those in relation to the dignity of detainees. Generally efficient procedures did not amount to respect for detainees who, it seemed to us, were seen as commodities to be delivered rather than as vulnerable individuals deserving of individual attention. Staff also had little awareness of important inquiry findings that should have been cascaded down to them following the death of a detainee during a scheduled flight removal in 2010."
Departure airport Stansted / Destination country Pakistan / Destination airport Islamabad
Escort contractor Tascor
Number of detainees escorted 66 Number of escort staff 124
Health care staff 3
Length of journey 18.5 hours (maximum for first detainees to be collected from an IRC)
Immigration Statistics, Q1 January to March 2014
Detention: The number of people entering detention in the year ending March 2014 increased to 30,113, up 5% on the previous year (28,733). There was a continuing decline in the proportion of detainees being removed to 56% in the year ending March 2014 compared with 60% in the previous 12 months. There was an increase in the proportion of detainees granted temporary admission or release from 33% to 37%.
As at the end of March 2014, 2,991 people were in detention, 5% higher than the number recorded at the end of March 2013 (2,853).
In the first quarter of 2014, 19 children entered detention in immigration removal centres, short-term holding facilities and pre-departure accommodation, which, together with the figure for the first quarter of 2011, is the lowest since the series began in 2009.
Of the 19 children leaving detention in the first quarter of 2014, 6 were removed from the UK and 13 were granted temporary admission or release.
During the year ending March 2014, 29,801 people left detention. Of these, 18,115 (61%) had been in detention for less than 29 days, 5,703 (19%) for between 29 days and two months and 4,127 (14%) for between two and four months. Of the 1,856 (6%) remaining, 175 had been in detention for between one and two years and 39 for two years or longer.
Removals and Voluntary Departures
Enforced removals from the UK decreased by 12% to 12,621 in the year ending March 2014 compared with the previous 12 months (14,283). This represents the lowest figure since the series began in 2004.
There were 4,416 enforced removals of people who had sought asylum at some stage, down 12% from the previous year (5,011).
The number of passengers refused entry at port and who subsequently departed has increased by 3% in the year ending March 2014, to 14,265 from 13,833 for the previous 12 months; however the long-term trends show levels decreasing since 2004.
In the year ending March 2014, there was an increase of 25% in total voluntary departures, to 37,227, compared with the previous year (29,883). This category has represented the largest proportion of those departing from the UK since the end of 2009.
The highest number of enforced removals in the year ending March 2014 were for nationals of Pakistan (1,794; 14% of the total). The second highest were for nationals of India (1,255; 10% of the total).
4,573 foreign national offenders (FNOs) were removed, down 2% from the previous year (4,684), year ending March 2014.
Asylum:
There were 23,731 asylum applications in the year ending March 2014, a rise of 1,101 (+5%) compared with the previous 12 months. The number of applications remains low relative to the peak number of applications in 2002 (84,132), and similar to levels seen since 2006 (23,608).
The number of initial decisions on asylum applications has decreased by 14% to 15,209 in the year ending March 2014. Of these decisions, 36% (5,433) were grants of asylum, a form of temporary protection or other type of grant.
At the end of March 2014, 19,685 of the applications for asylum received since April 2006 from main applicants were pending a decision (initial decision, appeal or further review). This was 38% more than at the end of March 2013.
The HM Courts and Tribunals Service received 7,521 asylum appeals from main applicants in the year ending March 2014, a fall of 9% compared with the previous 12 months.
At the end of March 2014, 25,355 asylum seekers were being supported while their asylum claim was finally determined (under Section 95). The number of failed asylum seekers and their dependants receiving support (under Section 4) was 4,854.
In the year ending March 2014, the largest number of applications for asylum were from nationals of Pakistan (3,285), followed by Iran (2,233), Sri Lanka (1,813) and Syria (1,722).
The 1,101 increase in applications in the year ending March 2014 compared with the previous 12 months was driven by rises from a number of nationalities, in particular from Eritrea (+802), Syria (+559), and Albania (+474). While Eritrea saw the largest increase in applications, it remains fifth for overall numbers of asylum applications.
Asylum Support
At the end of March 2014, 25,355 asylum seekers and their dependants were being supported under Section 95. According to previously published figures, there were 80,123 asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 in December 2003 (the start of the published data series).
There is a high concentration of those supported under Section 95 in a few local authority areas. For example, at the end of December 2013 the 5 local authorities with the greatest number (Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff and Middlesbrough) accounted for 27% of the total, while 75% of all those seeking asylum and supported under Section 95 were in 30 local authorities.
Summary Points: January to March 2014
Data tables
Work
Study
Family
Before Entry
Admissions
Asylum
Extensions of stay
Settlement
Citizenship
Detention
Removals and voluntary departures
European Economic Area (EEA)
About this Release
About the figures
<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2014/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2014>Published 22 May 2014 |
Funeral of Christine Case - Friday 6 June
Christine Case's family are calling for people to attend the funeral to show their support. The funeral is at 11am on Friday 6 June 2014 at Power, Praise, Deliverance and Worship Centre, 421-427 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 6QN.
Christine Case a 40-year-old Jamaican woman died while being held at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre on Sunday 30 March 2014. Emergency services were called to the centre at around 8:00am but she was pronounced dead at 8:57 am. Yarl's Wood is run by Serco on behalf of the Home Office and holds up to 405 women and their families and its healthcare is contracted out to Serco Healthcare.
10 Longest Recorded Lengths Of Detention @ 31st March 2014
1518 days 4.1 Years / 1168 days 3.2 Years / 1154 days 3.1 Years
1098 days 3.0 Years / 1041 days 2.8 Years / 951 days 2.6 Years
935 days 2.5 Years / 908 days 2.4 Years / 906 days 2.4 Years
902 days 2.4 Years / All the above male detainees
@ same date, 1 Female had been detained for 739 days - just over 2 years
Platform on Forced Labour and Asylum
On this website you will find a guide on tackling forced labour among refugees and asylum seekers, plus posters and postcards which are available for you to download.
The Guide on Tackling Forced Labour among Refugees and Asylum Seekers is to assist people working with refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. The Guide will help you to identify forced labour, trafficking and labour exploitation; respond to labour exploitation; share information and find more detailed information and guidance.
http://forcedlabourasylum.org.uk/
Afusat Saliu and Children Deported to Nigeria
Afusat Saliu, and daughters Bassy, four and Rashidat, two, were "removed to their country of origin" on Wednesday, the Home Office said. Her lawyer Bhumika Parmar said she had spoken to Ms Saliu in Nigeria, who was "really upset at the situation". Ms Parmar said she would continue to fight her case and that permission had been granted for a judicial review. More than 120,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Home Office reconsider the case. More than 120,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Home Office reconsider the case.
BBC News, <>04/06/14
Children Suffer as Cuts to Legal Aid Penalise Parents in Court
Almost half of all parents fighting to get access to their children through the courts are being made to do so without legal advice, family magistrates warn today. A survey of nearly 500 justices reveals that 46 per cent of the people seen by magistrates in private family courts are now representing themselves.
Almost of all of the magistrates questioned said they believed that self-representation was having a negative impact on the court's work - leading to delays and potential unfairness if one parent is legally represented but the other is not. "We and our legal adviser do our best, but time is not on our side," one magistrate said. An impossible two-tier system has been created, between those that have [legal advice] and those that don't.'
The rise in self-representation comes as a result of changes to legal aid provision, which came into effect in April 2013, means that many more people are no longer eligible for financial support in family court proceedings.
Maeve McClenaghan , Oliver Wright, Indpendent, <> 01/06/14
Cedars & Overseas Family Escort - Well Managed, But More To Do
"The distress experienced by parents and children who are subject to enforced removals is palpable for anyone who spends time in their company in Cedars. More should be done to address the jarring experiences some families have before arrival at Cedars, and to reduce the stress of removal. However, Cedars itself remains an example of best practice in caring for families who are to be removed. It has maintained effective joint working to mitigate the needs of some of the most vulnerable people subject to immigration control, and remains an exceptional facility." Nick Hardwick
Cedars is a high-quality, well managed institution but more should be done to reduce the stress of removal, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an unannounced inspection of the pre-departure accommodation near Gatwick.
Cedars provides pre-departure accommodation for families subject to immigration control who are being removed from the UK. This was its second inspection. Forty-two families had been held there during 2013 for an average of just over three days. Inspectors accompanied families under escort to and from the centre from the point of initial arrest. Inspectors also inspected the progress of a family from the point of arrest by immigration officers to the point they arrived in their home country following an escorted removal flight.
Inspectors were concerned to find that:
- the needs of children were not central enough to the arrest process and in one case, extreme force was used for several minutes to batter down a family's door early in the morning, which would have been terrifying for children had they been in the property;
- The reasons given for this tactic, which was not preceded by any attempt to knock on the door, lacked credibility.
- a number of families were still detained on more than one occasion, which was a particularly disruptive upheaval for children, both emotionally and practically; and
- while escorts were managed reasonably well, some light-touch restraint by escort staff was unnecessary and escalated at least one situation.
- suicide and self-harm procedures had been initiated 25 times and there had been two recorded incidents of actual self-harm. Detainees had been placed on constant watch on 12 occasions.
--Separation was little used but we were still not convinced that it needed to be used for as long as it was.
The important role that Barnardo's staff played in the centre had been maintained and helped to ensure that the needs of children were uppermost in the minds of all staff.
Inspectors were pleased to find that:
- the high-quality residential units and grounds provided a decent environment for families and children of all ages;
- the careful planning for each family had been sustained and in some respects improved;
- the level of individual care and attention for families on their reception into the centre remained exceptional;
- despite undergoing an extremely stressful experience, families spoke highly of the care given to them by all staff; and
- in accordance with recommendations we had made previously, staff had been instructed not to use force against pregnant women or children unless it was to prevent harm.
- Force had been used against five of the 42 families. Most was low level and it was subject to rigorous governance.
Inspectors made 40 recommendations
Continuing Conflicts that Create Refugees - May 2014
5 actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated and two improved in April 2014, according to CrisisWatch N°130
Deteriorated Situations Kenya, Libya, South China Sea, Thailand, Yemen
800 killed in Iraq's Bloodiest Month This Year
The real toll is in fact higher because the UN figures do not include casualties in the western province of Anbar, where the Iraqi army has been fighting tribal and insurgent groups since they overran two cities at the start of the year.
Despite deteriorating security, Iraq's incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki won the largest share of parliamentary seats in national elections last month, dealing a blow to his opponents who blame him for leading the country to ruin.
Bloodshed remains below the levels seen in 2006 and 2007 when sectarian Shi'ite-Sunni killings reached their peak, but last year was Iraq's deadliest since violence began to ease in 2008.
Read more: Alert Net, <> 01/06/14
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