No-Deportations - Residence Papers for All

                               News & Views Monday 16th March to Sunday 22 March 2015

Family Reunification Maried Couples who are Third-Country Nationals

Family reunification in the case of married couples who are third-country nationals may in principle be made contingent on the spouse who is intending to join the family passing an examination that tests knowledge of the country and of its language

In the event of unreasonableness or special circumstances, it must, however, be possible for exemptions from the examination to be granted in individual cases, and any examination fees must not be so high as to create an obstacle to the exercise of the right to family reunification

Opinion of the Advocate General in the case C-153/14
Court of Justice of the European Union - Luxembourg, 19 March 2015


UKHOCIG: South/Central Somalia: Majority Clans/Minority Groups

1.1 Basis of Claim

1.1.1 Fear of mistreatment by non state actors on account of a person's membership of a majority clan or minority group.

1.1.2 The four 'noble' (majority) clans are the Darod, Hawiye, Isaaq and Dir, while two further clans, the Digil and Mirifle (also collectively referred to as Rahanweyn) take an intermediate position between the main clans and the minority groups. Minority groups are comprised of ethnic and religious minorities, and occupational / out-caste groups. The latter are of the same ethnicity as members of the majority clans. Ethnic and religious minorities include the urban coastal communities of the Benadir region (the Reer Hamar, Barawani - also known as Reer Brava or Bravanese - and the Bajuni) and the Bantu. Occupational and out-caste groups include members of the Tumal, Midgan and Yibir. Members of majority clans can be considered minorities where they live in an area mainly populated by other majority clans.

1.1.3 Decision makers should note that the term 'group' can mean a particular dominant ethnicity associated with geographical location or language, or could loosely mean clan as in an alliance of separate descent groups living in the same cities.

For more information see country information, Background: clan system, clans and minority groups

Published on Refworld, 19/03/15



UKHO: - Eritrea: Illegal Exit

1.1 Basis of Claim
1.1.1 Fear of harm or mistreatment by the state, amounting to persecution, because the person left Eritrea illegally.

1.1.2 Decision makers must also note that the issue of illegal exit from Eritrea is often inherently linked with issues related to compulsory national (including military) service. Therefore, this country information and guidance report should be read alongside the one on Eritrea: National (incl. Military) Service.

Published on Refworld, 17/03/15
http://www.refworld.org/docid/5507fe424.html


Support the Sheikh Sisters Struggle for Justice!

Pack out Gloucester Crown court Monday 23rd March 2015!
Longsmith Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 2TS

No more racist attacks! On 31st March 2014, Gloucester Crown Court was forced to order a re-trial of Mark Ridler and his partner Charlotte Mace for a racially aggravated attack on the Sheikh sisters on 28th August 2012. This trial was due to take place on 29 September 2014 but was postponed at the last minute. Now it is due to take place on Monday 23rd March and we are planning to take supporters up to Gloucester Crown Court. The Sheikh sisters are four young Asian women living in Gloucester who were subjected to a horrendous campaign of racist abuse by a neighbouring white family and their racists friends which started in 2009. It included besieging the sisters in their house, constant racist abuse, and threats to kill.
Read more: Freedom With Out Fear <> here . . . .


Further Guidance on Article 8 Immigration Cases
Singh and Khalid v SSHD [2015] EWCA Civ 74 - These two appeals the assessment of article 8 ECHR claims in immigration cases. It is an important addition to the current cases on which rules apply to applications for leave to enter or remain made before the new Immigration Rules came into force on 9 July 2012. In Singh and Khalid, the Court of Appeal clarified the answer to this question and resolved the conflicting Court of Appeal authority in Edgehill v SSHD [2014] EWCA Civ 402 and Haleemudeen v SSHD [2014] EWCA Civ 558.
Read more: Millie Polimac, UK Human Rights Blog, <> 13/03/15


UK FCO Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015

Published 12 March 2015

The Human Rights and Democracy Report presents the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) analysis of the human rights situation in 27 countries where the UK government has wide-ranging concerns.

Countries Of Concern: Afghanistan / Belarus / Burma / Central African Republic / China / Colombia / Cuba / DPR Korea / DR Congo / Eritrea / Iraq / Islamic Republic of Iran / Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories / Libya / Pakistan / Russia / Saudi Arabia / Somalia / South Sudan / Sri Lanka / Sudan / Syria / Turkmenistan / Uzbekistan / Vietnam / Yemen / Zimbabwe

Assessed - the gravity of the human rights situation in these countries, including both the severity of particular abuses and the range of human rights affected;

whether a deterioration or improvement in the human rights situation in the country would have a wider impact in the region;

whether the human rights situation in the country has an impact on wider UK interests; and

whether we are able to influence the human rights situation.

The first of these criteria (gravity of the situation) is the most important assessment that we make, and is not affected by levels of UK interest or influence. In order to ensure that our analysis is strictly evidence-based, we introduced last year a list of internationally respected human rights indicators and indices. Our geographical departments and Embassies and High Commissions overseas assessed all the countries in their regions against these indicators and indices.

Having assessed the gravity of the human rights situation, we applied an analysis of the other criteria, including UK engagement and interests as a means of influencing change, to determine which countries, among all those where there are concerns about the human rights situation, should be the particular focus of Foreign & Commonwealth (FCO) efforts. It is clearly important that we concentrate our resources on those countries where we can make most difference. Ministers then made the final decision on the list of countries of concern and country case studies to be included in this report.

Following the review process, Fiji was removed from the countries of concern category.

Country case studies were introduced in 2012 as a way to report on countries which do not meet the overall threshold for a country of concern, but which we judge nonetheless to be facing human rights challenges, or to be on a trajectory of change with regard to their human rights performance. While most such studies focus on countries with particular human rights challenges or on a negative trajectory, others were included because the analysis showed a positive change, or because we wanted to highlight a particular thematic issue. Some countries are subject to periodic in-year reporting to enable us to assess human rights trends and monitor developments.

This year, our country case studies are Bahrain, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda Egypt, Burundi, The Gambia, and Honduras. Following the events of 2014, we have also decided to treat the Crimea and separatist occupied areas of Ukraine as a country case study. We have also included a number of thematic case studies in relevant chapters of the report, for example, on freedom of religion or belief in South East Asia and political participation in Swaziland.

The list of 27 countries of concern (and country case studies showing a negative trajectory) does not represent an exhaustive list of countries where the UK believes improvements are needed on human rights. Although the countries on which we report here will remain our priorities for 2015, we continue to engage with many other countries on human rights issues, for example through dialogue and project work.

As in last year's report, we have listed the countries of concern in alphabetical order. We have ensured that each entry contains sections to reflect our priority thematic issues such as: elections, freedom of expression, torture prevention, women's rights and freedom of religion or belief. Other sub-headings are included where relevant.

We will continue to report on developments in the countries of concern online on a quarterly basis and raise our concerns about human rights issues wherever and whenever they occur. Any human rights events that have occurred in these countries since the cut-off point for this report (31 December 2014) will be covered in the next quarterly updates, due to be published in April 2015.

The full report can be found <>here . . . .

Early Day Motion 888: Persecution Rohingya Community In Burma
That this House notes that the Rohingya community in Burma continues to suffer serious abuse of its fundamental human rights; further notes that many members of the Rohingya community have been forced into camps or to leave the country; believes that the Burmese government should establish a special administrative territory in Northern Arakan, reinstate the national identity registrations card, and guarantee the basic human rights of the Rohingya community and its right to equal treatment and respect in particular; also believes that the Burmese government should take strong action to halt the anti-Muslim propaganda which has stimulated the killing of members of the Rohingya community and the burning of their property and to protect the Rohingya community from these attacks; and calls on the Government to make these demands of the Burmese government.

Sponsors: Galloway, George/ McDonnell, John / Russell, Bob / Bottomley, Peter
House of Commons: 18.03.2015


National Demonstration Stand up to Racism and Fascism

Marching Together: All Nations, Ethnicities, Colours, Creeds, Sex's, LGBT, Migrants, Asylum Seekers applying/refused, Displaced persons, people 'Sans Papiers'.

Saturday 21 March - Assemble 12 noon BBC Portland Place, London

From Germany to Greece to Ferguson, people who want a society free from racism are saying no more. People are taking to the streets in large numbers to oppose the racist Pegida movement in Germany and the Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn in Greece, and to protest institutional racism and police violence against Black communities.

People are outraged at the Islamophobic and anti-Semitic backlash after the Copenhagen and Paris attacks, and the mass media silence on the Chapel Hill shootings where three Muslim students were brutally shot dead, so many have mobilised under the slogan 'Muslim Lives Matter'. Immigrant communities are fed up with being wrongly blamed for an economic crisis they did not create. On UN anti-racism day people across the world will be taking a stand.

Last year over 10,000 people from across Britain people took to the streets in London - students and trade unionists, people of all faiths and none, migrants, musicians, teachers, pensioners and parents. And together we showed unity in the face of racism. A huge demonstration this year, just a month before the General Election will send a powerful message to all politicians.

This racist tide will only be driven back by you and me standing up and confronting it

Organised by Stand Up To Racism, More details <> here . . . .


Self-Harm in Immigration Detention January through December 2014

Suicide attempts reached an all time high, practically one everyday!

There was a sharp rise in the number of all incidents in the last quarter of 2014

Overall in 2014 there were 353 suicide attempts, 28 more than the previous year 2013.

2,335 detainees were put on suicide watch 44 less than in 2013.

The Verne, now fully operational, brings the total of dedicated IRCs to 14.

Recorded deaths:

Christine Chase a national of Jamaica aged 40, died in Yarl's Wood on Sunday 30th March 2014. Sources said they heard Ms Case crying for help before suffering a heart attack. The death caused panic within the immigration removal centre. A spokesman for the NHS East of England ambulance service said: "We were called to Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre at 8:17 am after receiving reports that a woman was in cardiac arrest. We attended along with the air ambulance service. "She was immediately tended by medical staff from the Centre and by paramedics, but did not regain consciousness and sadly died soon after. Ms Chase had been living in the UK for the last fourteen years.

Rubel Ahmed : On 5th September 2014, Rubel Ahmed, a 26 year old immigration detainee from Bangladesh was pronounced dead at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre. Mr Ahmed was detained at Morton Hall IRC for approximately two months.

There was a significant delay in Mr Ahmed's family being informed of his death. His family report that they were given very little information from officials and that they were initially referred to the press office. The family had to make numerous enquiries before they were put in contact with a Family Liaison Officer from the Home Office to confirm Mr Ahmed's death. The family were reliant on reports from other detainees at Morton Hall IRC and were informed that Mr Ahmed was calling for medical assistance prior to his death. Mr Ahmed's family are still uncertain about the cause of his death.

Editors note: UKHO will not provide data on detainees, who die within 72 hours of release from detention. They are required to provide this information for those discharged from prison/police custody/Secure Mental Health facilities.

Statistics for the years 2007 through 2014 can be found here . . . .

Number of Incidents of Self-Harm Requiring Medical Treatment Q4 October Through December - 2014
Total Oct Nov Dec
Quarter 4
Brook House 21 9 6 6
Campsfield House 6 1 3 2
Colnbrook 13 5 7 1
Dover 11 7 2 2
Dungavel 4 2 0 2
Harmondsworth 17 5 5 7
Haslar 0 0 0 0
Morton Hall 26 13 11 2
The Verne 9 3 5 1
Tinsley House 3 2 1 0
Yarl's Wood 21 6 14 1
Larne 2 0 1 1
Pennine House 0 0 0 0
Cedars 1 0 1 0
Subtotal 134 53 55 25
    Q4 - 134

Individuals on Formal Self-Harm at Risk in Q4 October Through December - 2014
     
Total Oct Nov Dec
     
Brook House 79 29 14 36
Campsfield House 45 16 15 14
Colnbrook 62 23 22 17
Dover 31 9 14 8
Dungavel 22 11 9 2
Harmondsworth 108 32 41 35
Haslar 13 5 4 4
Morton Hall 104 41 31 32
The Verne 46 11 15 20
 
Tinsley House 43 18 16 9
Yarl's Wood 109 39 44 26
Larne 4 0 2 2
Pennine House 6 0 4 2
Cedars Pre-departure 4 2 1 1
Subtotal   676 236 232 208
   
Q3 - 676
     

 

 

Last updated 20 March, 2015