Urgent asylum issues for the new government; Lobby for UK detention reform

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Source The Refugee Council

The Refugee Council wants to see a fair, humane and effective asylum system that provides protection and enables refugees to rebuild their lives in safety. As we approach the sixtieth anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention next year, we are asking the new government to seize the opportunity to create such a system.

We’ll build on the success of the asylum election pledge signed by 1,031 parliamentary candidates, 219 of whom were successfully elected to parliament, including nine members of the cabinet. Pledge signatories include the Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, as well as Immigration Minister Damian Green.

We’re highlighting to key ministers and all MPs the urgent need for positive, swift action across government, and calling for:

• Politicians to show leadership in defending and promoting Britain as a place of refuge for the persecuted, and using fair and accurate language about asylum and refugees.
• The UK Border Agency to get decisions on asylum claims right the first time round. High numbers of initial decisions by the UKBA are overturned on appeal. Poor decision-making is unfair on applicants, slows down the system and leads to money being wasted.
• Early access to good quality legal advice for asylum seekers. Professional, timely legal advice is essential to ensuring that asylum seekers have access to justice. This would improve the overall quality of the process, build trust in the system, and support those without protection needs who can safely return to do so.
• All asylum claims to be processed in the community. Ending the injustice of the detained fast tracking of asylum claims and processing asylum claims in the community will avoid unnecessary and inhumane treatment, lead to fairer decisions and save money.
• Immediately implement the commitment to end child detention. We are delighted that the Coalition negotiations agreement reached on 11 May 2010 includes this commitment, which should be fulfilled without delay, and in a way that keeps families together.
• Immigration detention for adults who have claimed asylum to be minimised. Detention at the end of the asylum process is massively over-used and is without essential safeguards. It must be used only as a last resort where independently shown to be necessary.
• Access to mainstream benefits and permission to work for asylum seekers. The separate ineffective and expensive system of asylum support should be replaced with access to mainstream benefits, and restoring permission to work for asylum seekers.
• An end to destitution among refused asylum seekers. Destitution is destroying lives. There is no evidence that destitution leads people to return to their home countries. Those who cannot return should be granted temporary, formal status with permission to work. Where asylum seekers do receive support, it should be in the form of cash and not a restricted payment card or vouchers. People who have sought asylum should be entitled to free healthcare and a decent standard of accommodation until they get status or return home.
• Permanent status for refugees. Refugees want to integrate, offer their skills and contribute to the UK but since 2005, most people recognised as refugees are given permission to stay in the UK for five years only. This policy is a waste of money and creates a further administrative backlog for UKBA who from August 2010 will have to review upward of 7000 cases a year. This situation should be resolved by returning to the granting of permanent status for refugees.

We look forward to working with refugee community organisations, partners and members to ensure that the UK continues to be a place of sanctuary for those fleeing persecution.

If you want to keep up to date with current campaigns, you can register to receive campaign support updates.

You can follow our work in parliament and keep track of parliamentary questions, debates and All Party Parliamentary Group meetings by receiving the free Parliamentary Asylum and Refugee Network newsletter, the PARN. To subscribe, email parliamentary@refugeecouncil.org.uk with the word PARN in the subject line.

Lobby for UK detention reform

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New UK government recognises International Day Against Homophobia

By Paul Canning

Both the Home and Foreign and Commonwealth Office have released statements recognising the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO).

In Turkey, the British Embassy released a statement saying it was "proud to celebrate IDAHO with colleagues from many countries and the Turkish LGBT rights group KAOS GL!" On Friday 14 May Stuart Adam, its Head of Political Section, took part in the opening panel discussion at the Fifth International Conference Against Homophobia in Ankara.

The following day the Embassy co-hosted a reception in Ankara for diplomats, politicians, journalists and human rights activists. Later it monitored the gay pride march through Kizilay, a neighborhood of the Turkish capital.

Two years ago the Foreign Office adopted an official programme to support the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people in other countries.

According to pinknews.co.uk there was (unsourced) speculation "whether the custom would continue under the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government".

Conservative New Europe Minister David Lidington released a statement saying:

"The UK has a long and proud history of defending the basic rights and freedoms of the oppressed and vulnerable.

"We are committed to promoting British values overseas and to placing human rights at the heart of foreign policy.

"Everyone, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people should be free to enjoy the rights and freedoms to which people of all nations are entitled."

According to the Foreign Office website the Uzbekistan Embassy also published support for Idaho.

Home Office Minister Theresa May marked IDAHO saying:

"This government is committed to creating a society that is fair for everyone and supports equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people."

"This means supporting civil partnerships, tackling homophobic bullying wherever it occurs, changing the law regarding historic convictions for consensual gay sex and using our international influence to put pressure on countries where LGBT people are persecuted."

"‘These commitments show our determination to tear down the barriers that continue to hold people back."

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New government: where next on immigration and asylum?

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Source: Left Foot Forward

By Jill Rutter

Outside London, immigration emerged as a potent issue of public concern during the election campaign, with the Conservative and Labour Party’s talking tough, and the Lib Dems, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens advancing a different narrative – one that stressed the positive impacts of immigration.

With the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives divided in their overall narrative and in the details of asylum and immigration policy, it came as no surprise that the coalition agreement included a clause on this issue. Both parties have agreed to support an annual limit on work visa and student immigration to the UK and both parties have agreed to end the detention of children for immigration purposes.

Although not part of the formal coalition agreement, senior Lib Dems have also agreed to drop the proposal for an amnesty for irregular (illegal) migrants with more than ten years’ residency in the UK. Some senior Lib Dem parliamentarians have suggested that the amnesty proposal was a mistake and all mention of it has been mysteriously buried deep within the Lib Dem website. The migrants’ rights lobby, including Lib Dem party members, are now asking what these concessions really mean, and how the new government’s asylum and immigration policies will shape up.

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A new government, a new Home Secretary

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Source: NCADC


Theresa May, Tory MP for Maidenhead, has been appointed as the new Home Secretary.

It should come as no surprise that May is assessed on the Public Whip website by her voting record as someone who:

"believes that the asylum system should be stricter by tightening the criteria for acceptance, setting tougher rules for allowable activities and making it easier for government agencies to remove asylum seekers"

For example, she voted in favour of the infamous Section 55 of the 2002 Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act, which led to thousands of refugees being made homeless and destitute because they did not apply for asylum immediately on arrival in the UK. But then again, only 8 Labour and 1 Tory voted against this law (20% of each party's MPs didn't turn up to vote). Conversely, every single Lib Dem MP turned up on the day and voted against this section of the Act.

It will be interesting to see how enthusiastic this new Home Secretary is about the commitment to "end the detention of children for immigration purposes", announced today as part of the deal with the Tories' new best friends the Liberal Democrats.


LGBT Asylum News note: she also launched the Tory equalities manifesto which promised to "change the rules" for LGBT asylum seekers and said:

At the moment gay asylum seekers are often returned to countries with homophobic regimes and told to keep their sexuality a secret.

Although the current Supreme Court case may overturn this policy anyway (though we won't see a decision for some months). The LiberalDemocrats have, of course, had a supportive policy for some time.


So, goodbye to all this...?

It's unlikely that this Tory Home Secretary will be any better or any worse than her Labour predecessors:

- Jack Straw, who introduced forced dispersal, among other nastiness;

- David Blunkett, who took away the right to work, and made thousands destitute;

- Charles Clarke, who attempted to take children into "care" if their parents didn't hurry up and get back to where they came from;

- John Reid, who decided the system wasn't nearly nasty enough for purpose, what with all this human rights and access to solicitors nonsense;

- Jacqui Smith, who insisted that it was safe to deport gay asylum seekers to Iran as long as they were "discreet";

- Alan Johnson, who, as an MP, wrote an impassioned "life and death" plea in support of a family, then, as Home Secretary signed the removal order.

Johnson's final rant as Home Sec was to dismiss the Lib Dem proposal to allow asylum seekers to work as "utter, utter madness".

After the UK election: where next for LGBT asylum?

By Paul Canning

As the jostling starts on exactly who will form a British government we have no idea who will be the MP(s) ending up with the key Ministries holding the fate of asylum seekers in their hands.

If we have a coalition government with mostly Conservative Ministers we could end up with a gay Home Secretary. There were many rumours after Tory Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling made his ill-fated and off-camera (but not off-microphone) comments on gays and Bed'n'Breakfast hotels that Nick Herbert might replace him. It wasn't Grayling's first 'gaffe'.

The precedent of Labour's silent gay and lesbian MPs would suggest that just because they're LGB they cannot be relied on to stick up for LGBT asylum seekers, but the Conservatives went into Thursday's election making a late pitch via an 'equalities manifesto' that promised to "change the rules" on LGBT asylum.

Labour didn't, and manifesto commitments are serious business. During the campaign my articles on Labour's record drew strong attacks, including from the gay MEP Michael Cashman, that suggested that - somehow - Labour would be better than the mistrusted Tories on LGBT asylum. But despite their lesbian and gay group passing a resolution promising to work on the issue nothing made it onto the actual promises list beyond vague claims, and the record speaks for itself. The UKLGIG study released in the middle of the election proved once-and-for-all that the system they'd managed is riddled with homophobia, how they might tackle it was a complete mystery.

And Labour ended the campaign with Gordon Brown making sickening comments on the pogrom in Iraq, suggesting that Iraqi gays are better off because of his government's actions and refusing to answer on how come it thought Iraq a 'safe country' to return gay asylum seekers to.

Of course the Iraq war supporting David Cameron would have had to say something similar, though possibly differently on the asylum aspect. But the Tory promise to 'change rules', plus what issue it highlighted which Labour consistently either refused to address ('go home and be discrete') or denied was a policy, plus Cameron's answer to my question which was a non-pat answer showing someone in Conservative Central Office was paying attention and reading about the issues can not but give hope - especially when the 'on side' LiberalDemocrats look to be playing a government role.

Another aspect to their credit is that when Cameron made a brief comment suggesting that they shouldn't be returned and told to 'be discrete' the right-wing mass tabloid newspaper the Daily Mail managed to translate this into "Cameron: Gay refugees from Africa should be given asylum in UK". This racist spin (he never mentioned Africa) lit up the far right blogosphere but the Mail's reaction - showing they were paying attention - didn't scare the Tories into not putting a pledge in a manifesto.

A number of LiberalDemocrat MPs who now may have some real power have long 'walked the walk' on LGBT asylum. Especially Simon Hughes who has showed up and backed Peter Tatchell and Outrage's many years of lonely campaigning. During the campaign Lynne Featherstone showed real understanding, saying: "we need to go further, and use our significant influence abroad to end this persecution because for every person that manages to flee - there [are] undoubtedly many more living in fear unable to escape."

But so have a number of Tories. During the campaign for gay Iranian Mehdi Kazemi several years ago the strongest supportive and condemnatory comments came from London's Conservative MEP John Bowis. In Parliament the Tory MP Alistair Burt who has the notorious Yarl's Wood detention centre in his constituency has been relentless is asking probing questions and damning the regime there.

The election also saw a number of new MPs who can be expected to be supportive.

Belfast Mayor and new Alliance party MP Naomi Long, who dramatically beat arch-homophobe and Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson, is a long standing advocate for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.

The Greens first MP, Caroline Lucas, has worked for LGBT asylum seekers throughout her term as an MEP and her party has strong policy.

Asylum advocates worked to ensure that candidates were educated and asked to commit on the issues. Over 1000, from all parties, signed a pledge to "remember the importance of refugee protection." Many of those were elected yesterday.

UK LGBT advocates have been discussing how to proceed, how to secure change. Exactly how we'll do it cannot be announced yet - watch this space! - but the election seems to have thrown up the greatest hope for real, meaningful change to our appalling regime we've seen in - oh - thirteen years.

UK Conservatives make LGBT asylum commitments

By Paul Canning

The Conservative Party launched an 'Equalities Manifesto' 3 May which makes a number of commitments on LGBT rights.

Under the section headed 'Fight for LGBT rights around the world' it says (my emphasis):

Unfortunately there are still far too many countries around the world that discriminate against gay and lesbian people. We would use our relationships with other countries to push for unequivocal support for gay rights. For example, shadow Cabinet Minister Nick Herbert will attend the EuroPride rally in Warsaw as part of our commitment to making  the case for gay equality in Eastern Europe.

We would also use our influence in international groups like the Commonwealth to put pressure on countries where gay people are persecuted, such as Uganda, and we would change the rules so that gay people fleeing persecution were granted asylum. At the moment gay asylum seekers are often returned to countries with homophobic regimes and told to keep their sexuality a secret.

This means that of all the major parties only Labour has gone into the election making no commitments on LGBT asylum.

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Gordon Brown answers question on LGBT Iraq and asylum

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The day before the UK election Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown has answered questions from readers of pinknews.co.uk. He gave the following answer to a question on LGBT life in Iraq and asylum.

Simon Reader: Life in Iraq is now much worse for gay people than it was under Saddam Hussein. As architects of the political situation in Iraq do you consider your government morally obliged to extend asylum more actively and with less bureaucracy to gay Iraqis who are in danger as a direct consequence of UK intervention in their country?

Gordon Brown: I unreservedly condemn abuses of gay rights, wherever in the world they happen, including in Iraq. But I'm sorry I can't agree that this is a result of military intervention.

Saddam's was a brutal regime which mistreated a wide range of minorities inside Iraq including LGBT people. Whatever people's views about the military intervention – and I have made clear that I think the international community had no choice given Saddam's repeated flouting of international resolutions as well as his abuses of his own people – I hope they will acknowledge that in almost all respects Iraq is a better place, and the Middle East a better and safer place, with him no longer in power.

Iraq is now an emerging democracy – definitely still with many flaws, but a strengthening democracy with the recent elections. We must continue to press the Iraqi government to improve their record on tolerance and human rights as we do with other countries in the region and the world.

I believe that human rights are universal, and that it is the job of mature democracies like Britain to support the development of free societies everywhere. I think Iraq now has a better chance of becoming a free society that genuinely respects human rights than it did under Saddam. As to your question on whether there is something we could do for gay asylum seekers from Iraq as a group, it is a fundamental principle of our asylum system that each cases is assessed fairly, separately, and on its merits.

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Michael Cashman responds to our criticism of Labour's international LGBT record

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By Paul Canning

On Tuesday pinknews.co.uk publicised my strong criticism of UK Labour's international manifesto. It was titled 'Labour is shunning gay Iraqis, asylum seekers' as this was my main point - neither is mentioned in either that or their domestic manifesto and on both Labour has failed to offer support, quite the opposite.

Leading gay politician Michael Cashman MEP has today defended Labour against my criticism in an interview with pinknews.co.uk.

This is what was said:

Today, Mr Cashman pointed to Labour's record on the issue and said the party was continuing to work with groups such as Iraqi LGBT.

He told PinkNews.co.uk: "No British government has done more to tackle discrimination and promote equal rights for LGBT people than this Labour government.

"We are proud to support the campaign within the UN for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality. It is abhorrent that countries exist which consider it a crime punishable by death.

"Labour’s LGBT International Manifesto has been criticised for not mentioning Iraq. Let’s be clear about this – homophobia exists in every society and every state. There is no fixed list of ‘homophobia free’ states. The manifesto mentions a number of states for which there are particular concerns. That does not mean that there are no concerns elsewhere.

"We remain concerned about the situation in Iraq. That is why we continue to make representations on behalf of individuals like Mr Ali Hili who, as founder of Iraqi LGBT, has worked with the Foreign Office and campaigns against LGBT persecution in Iraq.

"No civilised society condones or supports discrimination and, while it continues to exist, it is right to that we should all remain impatient and be critical of states and institutions that do nothing to address it.

"But the fact remains that this Labour government has led international efforts to tackle discrimination and promote equal rights. Labour is also at the forefront in Europe, not only shaping the EU institutions but shaping attitudes as well."

Mr Cashman added: "It is a regrettable that some people appear to be critical of Labour for producing an International LGBT Manifesto. Perhaps they should be asking why other parties have not published one."

Here is my comment in response to Michael (with additional emphasis):

Michael Cashman has much to be proud of in his work for gay rights internationally. I would single him out in this respect.

Unfortunately, the rest of the party retains an appalling position on asylum. It is the government which he supports which is directly affecting Iraqi gays through denying Ali Hili's request for his asylum claim to be expedited. To prove otherwise all they have to do is for Alan Johnson to intervene and order it. We don't just vote for the Michael Cashmans but also the Alan Johnsons and unfortunately LGBT labour people are left generally trying to claim things will somehow change or in the case of their two manifestos ignoring them.

How, exactly, is 'the party' supporting Iraqi gays? No, it is simply failing to take responsibility for the results of its actions and I stand by 'shunning'. Michael is an exception within his party.

There are also exceptions within the Tories – I would point to London MEP John Bowis' support for Iranian Mehdi Kazemi who Jacqui Smith tried to deport but there are others. Pointing at the Tories in a knee-jerk way simply doesn't work when you fail to address the party's own record. Michael's comments would have more weight if he admitted where the party has gone wrong.

I do not think the Tories would be 'better', but on asylum they could hardly be worse.

And of course it is simply false to say "perhaps they should be asking why other parties have not published [an international manifesto]" when both the LibDems and Greens incorporate strong commitments in their manifestos.

I am glad Michael says "we should all remain impatient and be critical of states and institutions that do nothing to address [the situation in Iraq]". What I wrote was not an criticism of you but the rest of your party and its actions in government. I know and you know that what is promised in the international manifesto may be good but is not good enough.

I truly respect you Michael but it is a plain fact that on Iraq and asylum neither LGBT Labour manifesto has anything to say.

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During an election 'usually, however, there is only silence'

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Source: OurKingdom

By Clare Sambrook 

When terrified men, women and children are being shunted off to countries where they face real and imminent risk of rape, torture, genital mutilation or death, an MP’s urgent appeal to government may tip the balance, stalling removal directions, making time to get legal advice.

But not during a general election campaign, when MPs lose their right to represent constituents' grievances. ‘We will not be able to respond to former MPs, or prospective parliamentary candidates on individual cases,’ says the UK Border Agency, ‘unless there is a signed letter of authority from the individual they are representing.’

For an asylum seeker banged up unexpectedly in a detention centre, isolated from help and support, with little English, no legal advice, restricted access to a fax machine, and facing a dawn deportation flight, the effect until May 6th is likely to be: no representation.

‘The family is Sudanese — a mother with three girls, aged 14, 10 and three,’ Conservative MP Alistair Burt told the House of Commons one evening last summer. ‘They have been in this country for a couple of years . . . The father disappeared in Darfur and the family applied for asylum, but the application was turned down.’
Burt, whose Bedfordshire constituency contains Yarl’s Wood detention centre (pictured) , where the family had been held for nine weeks, went on: ‘The three girls face the inevitable prospect of female genital mutilation when they return — the 14-year-old faces it almost immediately on her return. It is impossible to describe to the House the horror and apprehension that the family feel about their imminent return.’

He said: ‘I was contacted suddenly before their anticipated removal, and I asked whether the minister would be good enough in the circumstances . . . to put the removal directions on hold and allow the family more time to see a new solicitor and present another case. On the afternoon in question, the family . . . were in a van on their way to the airport when news came through from the minister’s office that he had been kind enough to grant a stay of removal directions.’

Despite receiving minister Phil Woolas’s cancellation orders, the private contractors, G4S, drove the family onto the tarmac, had their bags loaded onto the plane, then split them up so they could force the girls onto the plane first. The mother managed to get word to Burt on her mobile phone.

‘The mother became extremely distressed and was restrained in the elastic cuffs that are used,’ Burt told the House. ‘The mother resisted, not unnaturally, and there was further to-ing and fro-ing. She was placed in the aircraft, where she continued to resist, and then the escort said that further confirmation had been received that the removal directions had been cancelled. That followed a further intervention on my part to the minister’s office, asking what on earth was going on when removal directions had been cancelled but, contrary to the minister’s express wishes, were being carried out.’

That wasn’t the end of it.

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Alan Johnson fibs on asylum claim refusal numbers

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Source: Channel Four News

By Alice Tarleton

The claim

“The Liberal Democrats… would allow asylum seekers to work, which would be a fundamental mistake given that 83 per cent of asylum seekers are found not to have a genuine claim.”
Alan Johnson, home secretary, BBC Politics Show, 25 April 2010

The background

The idea that hordes of “bogus asylum seekers” are trying to get into the UK has generated many a tabloid headline over the past decade.

The government draws a line between refugees and those coming here for economic purposes by preventing asylum applicants from working in all but exceptional circumstances.

But the Lib Dems want to reduce spending on benefits by letting asylum seekers find paid work after two months, regardless of whether their case has been approved.

This would, Johnson said, be a “fundamental mistake” – given that 83 per cent of asylum seekers turn out not to have a genuine reason for seeking sanctuary in the UK.

That’s a strikingly high figure – but is it correct?




The analysis

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Labour is shunning gay Iraqis, asylum seekers

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By Paul Canning (for pinknews.co.uk)

As he launched Labour's international LGBT manifesto last Wednesday, foreign secretary David Miliband made one howler, echoed by another in the manifesto's text.

He said: "Under Labour the UK will continue to be a beacon of hope for LGBT people."

This delusion sounded a lot like Home Office minister Phil Woolas' article last year, when he wrote that he was proud of the attendees of the London Pride march who'd found sanctuary in the UK – never mind that his office would have refused them and fought tooth-and-nail to remove them.

The pair should form a double act.

An Amnesty International report released today said that gays in Iraq have no protection from the state and are allegedly even being targeted by some security forces. Yet Miliband's 'beacon' government would tell those seeking our sanctuary they could safely return and be "discreet".

Recent research from the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group on 50 refused asylum cases found that many were told to go home and not act gay.

Laugh? Cry? There is no "discreet" in Iraq – they will come and they will find you and they will torture you and display your body. For women "discreet" means you must marry and suffer rape for the rest of your life.

Furthermore, Labour's gay group LGBT Labour has nothing to say on asylum, despite the group passing a resolution at its AGM last year that it would "explore with the Home Office and Borders and Immigration agency" such items as no longer telling people to "go home and be discreet".

Labour's gay manifesto has nothing to say on the matter, presumably because the "explorations" came to nowt.

Elsewhere, the document says that the UK has "campaigned in the UN for the decriminalisation of homosexuality".

Now this has been part of a shopping list of Labour's great deeds for LGBT for some time. Previously, LGBT Labour's website claimed that the party "launched" the campaign but this has now mysteriously disappeared.

It certainly didn't lead. The origins of the UN resolution lie in the work of Louis George Tin, the French International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) founder who launched a worldwide campaign to end the criminalisation of same-sex relationships in 2006. He worked with then French foreign and human rights minister Rama Yade to get it to the UN. The British tagged on later. Google it.

I've exchanged emails with Louis George on the Labour claim. Shall we just say he's "bemused"?

It's also de rigeur here for them to say "only Labour" will continue to support UN work. I guess it was written before the rise of the LibDems who appear to be a good decade ahead of Labour on LGBT issues.

Having knocked it there's one good thing to say about Labour's gay manifesto. It does promise to "always raise matters of LGBT rights in countries where there is systematic violence or harassment", naming Russia, Uganda, Iran and Jamaica.

Of course we won't offer asylum or accept refugees but this is progress. It's certainly progress on Miliband's own Foreign Office human rights report, issued in February, which barely mentions LGBT issues anywhere outside Europe. It also somehow misses their sterling work in the Commonwealth, but, in future, sez the manifesto, they'll be a "relentless champion".

One country is missing in that list: Iraq.

Let's be clear, Labour created this modern-day pogrom. Saddam wasn't systematically hunting people down because they were lesbian, gay or transgender. That started after the invasion.

Since then, none of the governments responsible have done anything about it bar a few diplomatic words. Right now there is a pogrom going on in southern Iraq, the area formerly controlled by Britain: the legacy of the Labour government's rule there.

Perhaps I shouldn't pick out just Labour LGBT for pretending that this isn't happening, hoping the stench in the corner will be quietly ignored. The Labour government may be legally responsible but they're not the only ones ignoring it (so, given realpolitik, Labour LGBT's hope may be quite justified). The LGBT 'community' internationally has a case to answer.

Neither is it the responsibility of LGBT alone to help rescue Iraqi gays, but for those who claim to care about our brothers and sisters in other countries (including those who seek votes on that basis) it is shameful how they are turning their backs on Iraqis.

They are focusing, like the American Jews of the 1930s and 40s, solely on our own selfish interests.

LGBT Ugandans have been discussing what to do should the 'kill-the-gays' bill pass, where to flee. Some Americans have talked about pressuring the US State Department to help rescue them.

And the UK? How would we help those from our former colony, to whom we bequeathed sodomy laws? Referring back to that list of countries this manifesto says are experiencing "systematic violence or harassment", how has the Labour government helped fleeing Jamaicans? Or Iranians?

Jewish people know all about rescue. We could learn something from their history. They have a litany called an Al Chet which they use during Yom Kippur. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik wrote this one about how Jews escaping Germany weren't helped by fellow Jews who looked firstly after their own interests:

"Al chet shechatanu lefanecha bera’inu tzoras nafshoseihem shel acheinu bais yisroel shehischananu eileinu v’lo shamanu" [for the sin that we have sinned before you by seeing the suffering of our Jewish brethren who called to us and we did not listen].

They are calling, and we need to start listening.

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Iraqi LGBT: Ali Hili campaign update

First campaign coverage in Middle East, first direct comment by government on case

Labour's election web campaign supremo asks Johnson to act

1000 sign petition in fortnight, hundreds of letters to Johnson

A major middle east news source has written about the campaign for Ali Hili and Iraqi LGBT, the first major news outlet for the region to cover the campaign.

The Media Line also secured the first direct comment on Hili's case from the UK government. They said that it is being dealt with by UK Border Agency (UKBA) Case Resolution Directorate and “the reason it hasn’t been prioritised is because it doesn’t fall into one of the priority categories listed on our website.”

When applying for his case to be prioritised, Hili's solicitor Barry O'Leary explained that he needed to travel to fulfill speaking engagements which would directly aid lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) suffering terror in Iraq through publicising their cause. "It’s disrupting everything for us and throwing the group’s work down the drain," said Hili.

Six months later, and interpreting those "priority categories", the UKBA told O'Leary that:

• the assistance which Hili has given to the Foreign Office (and mentioned in their 2009 Human Rights Report) "does not count"
• the fatwa (death threat against him) does not mean that Hilli "falls within the classification of clear and immediate vulnerability"
• that the delay in deciding Hilli's asylum case (since July 2007) "is not in itself an exceptional circumstance"
• his case is not "compelling"

The UKBA explanation is in contradiction to the response given to MP Clare Short, prompted to write by a constituent. She was told by Gail Adams, West Midlands Regional Director of the UKBA that "information contained in applications to the UKBA is treated as being strictly confidential and is not normally disclosed to third parties."

Iraqi LGBT have been informed that a number of MPs have asked Johnson to act, including the head of Labour's web campaign for the general election Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East.

Campaigners are determined to get the British Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, to intervene and order Hili's case prioritised - as he is able to do. 

• They would like it to become an issue in the UK election. 
• They say that the lack of resolution and consequent inability to travel and meet politicians and journalists in places such as Washington DC, Brussels and Madrid directly affects LGBT who are suffering a pogrom which continues in the country.

• Iraqi LGBT say they will be releasing a video next month which addresses the ongoing campaign against LGBT, particularly in Iraq's south, a region formally under the control of the British. They say that in recent weeks there have been a number of murders of young gays.
  

Within a fortnight of the launch of the campaign, over 1000 people have signed an international petition. Over 250 mainly Americans have used change.org to send a message demanding intervention from the UK Home Secretary. Campaigners say they are aware of over 100 other letters going to both Alan Johnson and Gordon Brown.

The author Stella Duffy posted a link to the campaign on her Facebook page.

Besides The Media Line, a number of other blogs and websites covering Iraq have featured the case and support has come from many Iraqis.

Further coverage of Hili's case and the plight of LGBT in Iraq has come from a wide variety of media around the world.

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LibDem MP Lynne Featherstone on LGBT asylum, and who's left behind

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Speaking to LGF News, Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Youth and Equality issues, answered questions from readers on LGBT issues. These included

Q: With Lithuania and Uganda both forging ahead with homophobic legislation, what would a Liberal Democrat government do to defend the rights of gay people in countries where they face active persecution?

Featherstone: In any form of negotiation with these countries, (and others!) at every level from diplomat to minister, this needs to be flagged as serious issue that we will not let drop.

Q: What would a Liberal Democrat government do to ensure safety for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing persecution from violently homophobic and transphobic countries?

Featherstone: Persecution based solely on a person's sexuality is clearly grounds for a person to seek asylum.  Liberal Democrats have fought hard when the Government has failed to uphold this human right. But we need to go further, and use our significant influence abroad to end this persecution because for every person that manages to flee - there [are] undoubtedly many more living in fear unable to escape.

Green Party manifesto includes LGBT asylum commitments

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The UK Green Party election manifesto, launched April 16 in Brighton, one of Britain's 'gayest' cities, includes the following commitment:

"Ensure safe haven and refugee status for LGBT people fleeing persecution in violently homophobic and transphobic countries."

This follows on from its inclusion in the party's LGBT manifesto, launched in February.

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas told the launch:

“We are delighted that our general election manifesto includes strong commitments to further extend the rights and freedoms of LGBT people.”

She told LGF News:

"The treatment gay and lesbian asylum seekers receive from the British immigration system is nowhere near acceptable and we have worked very hard to support several asylum seekers who were under threat of deportation while under unimaginably enormous mental stress."

"Our co-spokesperson, who is a lesbian, is working with someone on their claim right now - this person has been turned down by the adjudicator, but I can't go into too much detail as her appeal is pending.  If she is refused leave to remain we will be fighting her case."

"Jean Lambert, the Greens's other MEP, was instrumental in getting a decision to deport a gay man to likely execution in Iran reversed by shaming the Labour government into reviewing his case."

Green Party LGBT National Spokesperson Phelim Mac Cafferty said:

"Gordon Brown’s government’s refusal to offer asylum to LGBT refugees who have suffered beatings' imprisonment' and torture on the grounds that they will not be at risk of homophobic persecution if they simply hide their sexuality and stop having gay relationships' shows that while making some progressive decisions for gay people in this country' Labour are not beyond criticism. In fact' Labour practices double standards by not making similar demands on political or religious refugees."

• Green Party manifesto (PDF)

Surveillance + detention = £Billions: How Labour’s friends are ‘securing your world’

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Source: OurKingdom

By Clare Sambrook

At the bustling Counter Terror Expo in London’s Olympia this week they are giving top billing to the security industry’s favourite politician. ‘The most experienced cabinet minister of modern times’, they call him: Dr John Reid.

Home office colleagues say Reid — Labour hard man, former secretary of state for health and defence, and home secretary — is the minister who brought business in from the cold. These days relations are warm and cosy. Marketing their wares as vital to the war on terror, while dreaming up everyday applications for intrusive high security kit, Reid’s friends have quietly advanced deep into the public sector — running schools, GP clinics and police investigations.

Out of government but still a serving MP, Reid has been taking £50,000 a year from G4S — the Group 4 Securicor giant.

He has been hosting ‘business breakfasts’, and talking up the scary threats and looming crises —  cyber attacks, pandemics, global warming, energy shortages, mass migration — that spell opportunity to his friends.
(They’ve made him honorary professor at the shadowy new Institute of Security and Resilience, at University College London; staff aren’t allowed to say whether industry is paying the bills.)

Life is good for G4S whose annual revenues have doubled to £6 billion in the past five years. Last month they picked up contracts for guarding foreign office buildings in the UK and in Afghanistan. They can afford to pay chief executive Nick Buckles (pictured) £3,835 every day.

G4S — slogan ‘Securing Your World’ — runs prisons, secure training centres and immigration centres including Tinsley House, where last year an asylum seeker who had been forcibly arrested and locked up, let go, arrested and locked up again, got predictably distressed — she was only ten years old — and tried to strangle herself.

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Labour's manifesto: Two Minute Hate: Criminals and Immigrants

Source: Free Movement

No responsible politician or political party would have a section of their manifesto for the coming election entitled ‘Crime and Immigration’, thereby lumping the two issues (and sets of people) together in an unholy juxtapositioning that plays right into the hands of the BNP, Migration Watch and their kind.

But that is exactly what Labour have done. They may as well have called it ‘Criminals and Immigrants’. All part of the Two Minute Hate.

On a slightly happier subject, there was an excellent article by Phillip Legrain on Saturday entitled Foreigners have not ‘taken’ new jobs, a response to Daily Mail claims in which he explains (again) that the idea there is a finite number of jobs in the economy is economic nonsense. There was also a good analysis piece by Jamie Doward in The Guardian on the misuse of statistics employed to justify such headlines.

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Blue sky thinking or cloudy days: What do the party manifestos mean for migrants in the UK?

Source: Migrant Rights Network

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LiberalDemocrats announce LGBT asylum priority as part of LGBT Manifesto

By Paul Canning

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg today launched the first their LGBT election manifesto. The third priority of six is "ending deportations of gay and lesbian refugees to countries where they face persecution".

The Libdems say:

"It is inhumane for the Government to deport gay people back to the countries where they will be persecuted because of their sexuality. We believe that everyone should be treated equally under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identification."

"We have long rejected the argument that it would be acceptable for a lesbian or gay person to be deported to a homophobic state, as long as that individual behaved in a ‘discreet’ manner."

"Liberal Democrats will not deport any refugees genuinely fleeing a country because sexual orientation or gender identification may mean that they are at risk of imprisonment, torture or even execution."

• Lib Dem LGBT Manifesto (PDF)

Correction: The Green party launched the first LGBT election manifesto in February. This included as their sixth 'core area':

"Ensure safe haven and refugee status for LGBT people fleeing persecution in violently homophobic and transphobic countries."

Statistics, migration spin and the election

Image by acidrabbi via Flickr

Source: Migrants Rights Network

By Don Flynn

Pretty well a perfect storm of misleading citation of statistics in this piece in the April 8 Daily Mail. So many examples of journalistic bad faith to chose from, but the assertion that an alleged “98.5 per cent of 1.67million new posts [created after 1997] were taken by immigrants”, and that this should be seen as evidence of a failed rationale for migration, is my favourite.


The faults with this reasoning are legion, but amongst those worth mentioning is the error made in assuming that the distribution of new jobs to natives should be considered, a priori, a good thing. If the new jobs created are concentrated in low-skill, casual, low wage sectors then the fact that they are going to natives who had previously being doing high skill, high wages jobs, would be a sign of the poor health of the economy, rather than a strength, because it would represent a sharp reduction in its capacity to maintain a decent level of welfare.

Contrariwise, a situation in which 100% of new jobs went to migrants could be evidence of substantial welfare gains for native workers if the effect of an expanded econony was to produce greater job security and higher levels of wage growth across the traditional sectors, where the majority of natives are presumably employed. In these circumstances, yes, the new jobs would all go to the migrants, but the natives would still benefit because their old businesses would be reinvigorated by the conditions of an expanded economy and they would be able to retain their better paid, more skilled jobs.

In real life the situation is more complicated because this scenario doesn’t take into account the position of long-term unemployed natives who have been locked out of the economy for structural reasons - living in the wrong parts of the country, unable to move because of a dysfunctional housing market, etc. But even here the dismal situation of this group cannot be said to have been made worse because of the arrival of migrants, because their problems need to be addressed by programmes of major structural reform which the British state has not been prepared to undertake for many decades past. Indeed, given the reluctance of governments to attempt these reforms during periods of low migration, it could well be argued that high migration rates are precisely what is needed to put some backbone into otherwise complacennt public policy attitudes.

Others might have other reasons for wanting to trash this duplicitous piece of journalism. Please be my guest…

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David Cameron answers our question on LGBT asylum

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By Paul Canning

The UK Conservative party opposition leader has answered a question on LGBT asylum posed by LGBT Asylum News Editor Paul Canning.

The question draws on differences in answers given by the main party leaders to Johann Haari, who conducted a series of interviews in January for the gay magazine Attitude.

In his interview with Cameron, Haari posed the same question he asked Prime Minister Gordon Brown about the Home Office policy of saying that LGBT can return (to countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia) and 'be discrete'.

Haari professed surprise at Cameron's response to his LGBT asylum question ("he is at his best and at his clearest – to my surprise") and quotes him as "unequivocally" saying in response to 'whether it is wrong that gay refugees are told to go back home and hide their sexuality from police forces who would imprison, torture or kill them for it': "I think it is. If you have a legitimate fear of persecution, that it seems to me that is a perfectly legitimate reason to stay."

This was in contrast to the bureaucratic fudge of PM Brown in his reply to the same question. LibDem leader Nick Clegg restated his party's longstanding criticism of the UK's asylum system to Haari. He describes it as “a moral stain on our collective consciousnesses" and "the most inhumane, irrational, cruel system imaginable”.

In his answers to questions posed by readers of pinknews.co.uk Cameron said the following to Canning's question (our highlight):

Q. If there is unfairness in the asylum system against LGBT people (as you suggested in your Attitude interview) what do you plan to do about that?

A: As I said in the interview, this does have to be looked at on a case by case basis, but if you are fleeing persecution and that fear is well-founded, then you should be able to stay. As things stand, the 1951 Refugee Convention doesn't mention sexuality but because it mentions membership of a social group, that phrase is being use by the courts, rightly in my view, to say that if someone has a realistic fear of persecution they should be allowed to stay. It's also important that the guidance the Home Office produces for asylum adjudicators to use in judging claims provides up-to-date and accurate information on homophobic persecution in every country.

Although Cameron does not actually answer the question - he doesn't say what he will do about 'unfairness in the asylum system' - the new comment on the information used by UK Border Agency staff known as country-of-origin information (COI) is interesting as it does suggest that someone in his office has done their homework.

As several reports have found, COI reports on persecution in individual countries is partial, inaccurate and misleading as well as out of date. It often conflicts with the Foreign Office assessment of the risks to UK LGBT citizens visiting the same country as well as information in the Foreign Office Human Rights Report.

Only last month a new report from the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) said that the supposedly independent Advisory Panel on Country Information (APCI) was subject to "undue influence" by the Home Office that "compromised its independence and the transparency of its work". The APCI's "lack of teeth" meant that it was unable "to ensure its recommendations were implemented in full".

Sheona York, Principal Legal Officer, IAS, said:

“This report demonstrates the continuing need for vigilance from those representing asylum-seekers to ensure that the country evidence on which UKBA decision-makers rely is accurate, unbiased and sourced. Too many clients lose their cases because the UKBA treats as gospel some remark by some unnamed source, or relies on information taken out of context. Now we should ensure that the same critical spotlight shines on the UKBA’s internal Operational Guidance Notes.”

pinknews.co.uk has secured a similar opportunity with PM Brown and LGBT Asylum News has submitted the following question:

Do you recognise that there is unfairness in the asylum system for LGBT and if so what do you propose to do to tackle it?

LGBT Asylum News has also provided an opportunity to all LGBT party groups, plus the Scottish National Party, to submit contributions to the website to be published unedited by May 4.

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UK election 2010: Plaid Cymru on LGBT asylum

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On the calling of the British general election, LGBT Asylum News has written to all the party's LGBT groups plus the Scottish National Party offering space for them to state their position on LGBT asylum issues. The parties have until 4 May to respond. Statements from them will not be edited.

The first submission is by Plaid Cymru.

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Plaid Cymru is working for a strong, sustainable and cohesive Wales where everyone is valued. The people of Wales are united in their diversity and are welcoming of those who come here to work and live. Plaid Cymru believes that Wales is a country where each and every individual should be respected and valued irrespective of their race, language, nationality, gender, colour, creed, sexuality, age, ability or social background.

We are in the process of setting up a LGBT group – PlaidPride – for employees, members of the party and supporters. This is an affiliated interest group which will be able to submit motions to conference. Of course, as well as appealing to LGBT members Plaid Cymru should strive to improve its standing amongst LGBT voters. A LGBT group could act as a mechanism for LGBT staff, members and supporters to air their grievances in the event of alleged discrimination occurring and could provide a system for dealing with abuse.

Plaid Cymru is committed to improving the working environment for LGBT staff. We will demonstrate that we are doing more than just complying with the law and actually engaging with our LGBT staff. In 1996 we passed ‘Sexual Health Education’ which called for ‘issues surrounding people’s sexuality [to] be presented in an open, sensitive and prejudice-free manner as a key element in any comprehensive programme of sexual health education [and noted] that lesbian, gay and bisexual young people also require support and advice and that section 28 of the Local Government Act (1988) that currently prevents the provision of such support be repealed accordingly.’ In 1999 we passed ‘Equality of Opportunity and Social Justice’ which reaffirmed Plaid’s ‘commitment to social justice and to the promotion of equality of opportunity for every citizen of Wales ... [and called on] Westminster must review equality law to ensure that it is enforceable. accessible, and covers all aspects of discrimination, including age and sexuality.’

We are very strong in reiterating our commitment to all those who live in Wales and that we are a party that believes in freedom from discrimination, harassment or insult on the grounds of colour, race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability. We are very clear that we welcome everyone to Plaid Cymru regardless of any minority status; we have a openly gay MP in Carmarthenshire and several openly gay councillors and prominent members of the party, as well as many gay members of staff across the party.

Plaid Cymru recognises the invaluable contribution that migrants have made to Wales over the years. Our civic nationalism celebrates tolerance, mutual understanding and difference. We welcome everybody to Wales, irrespective of race, language, nationality, colour, creed or background. We condemn the point-scoring used by other parties and the pandering to unfounded xenophobic prejudices in the debate on immigration. Migration is a natural process in human life and it is in all our interests for Wales  to deal with this as effectively and efficiently as possible. Equally, we recognise the potential shared benefits of greater co-operation in asylum and immigration at EU level, and the important role that Wales  should play in assisting the integration of new migrants. We believe that we share a duty to uphold and defend people's right to seek asylum and we will work to ensure Wales’s proud tradition of offering refuge to the persecuted continues. We strongly condemn the growing trade in human trafficking and call for greater resources to help and support victims of trafficking. Plaid MPs campaigned to stop the closing of the specialist Human Trafficking Unit which deals with forced labour and domestic slavery. 

Plaid Cymru supports the right of asylum seekers to work in the UK while they wait for status decisions to be made and we call for the speeding up of an often bureaucratic and unnecessarily complicated asylum system. Plaid MPs will campaign in Westminster for the repeal of laws which force asylum seekers into the inhumane and ineffective voucher system and we condemn the practice of housing recently-arrived asylum seekers, especially children, in “detention” or “removal” centres as punitive and cruel.