Community Care news reports on asylum seekers

Asylum seekers
win human rights battle with government
A high court judge has ruled that the human rights
of three asylum seekers were breached when they were forced to
sleep rough for days after being refused support by the National
Asylum Support System, writes Clare
Jerrom.
Aug 1, 2003
Plans
surface to cut health services for those whose claims have
failed
Asylum seekers living in the UK more than a year
after their applications have been rejected will no longer be
entitled to non-urgent NHS treatment, under plans published by the
Department of Health this week.
Jul 31, 2003 (Magazine) 
Directors
doubt age judgement accuracy
The Association of Directors of Social Services has
warned of the difficulties in determining the age of asylum seekers
after the High Court ruled that fairer investigations into age
should be carried out by councils.
Jul 24, 2003 (Magazine) 
Extent of
unmet need revealed
More than a quarter of refugee and asylum-seeking
children have significant unmet mental health needs, research
published this week reveals.
Jul 24, 2003 (Magazine) 
First port
of call
The government’s first induction centre for asylum
seekers has been operational for a year and a half. Anabel Unity
Sale gained exclusive access to the centre and finds out what help
and advice is provided as asylum seekers wait to be dispersed.
Jul 24, 2003 (Magazine) 
Give us the
whole truth
Immigration minister Beverley Hughes has conceded
that the National Asylum Support Service, responsible for
supporting and dispersing asylum seekers, has failed to “establish
a clear strategy to provide purpose, direction and governance of
its activities.” That’s Home Office-speak for “the whole thing’s a
bit of a shambles” – a fact that those who deal with Nass have
known for some time.
Jul 24, 2003 (Magazine) 
Review says
asylum support service is failing in purpose and
direction
The government has failed to make public details of
a critical review of the National Asylum Support Service, a move
that only underlines its importance, Amy Taylor writes
Jul 24, 2003 (Magazine) 
Support for
young who arrive alone
Baaf Adoption and Fostering is to develop an
information and advice service for unaccompanied asylum seeker
children and young people in foster care.
Jul 24, 2003 (Magazine) 
‘Community
worries must be addressed’
The government’s failure to address local concerns
about the resettlement of asylum seekers is contributing to ill
feeling and hostility, a new report suggests.
Jul 17, 2003 (Magazine) 
Policies
worsen health of those with HIV, say Lords and MPs
A “complete lack” of communication between the Home
Office, the National Asylum Support Service and social services
departments could result in the health of asylum seekers who are
HIV positive deteriorating, a parliamentary report warned last
week.
Jul 17, 2003 (Magazine) 
Poll reveals
targets for public prejudice
Asylum seekers, refugees, travellers and Roma
people are the groups the public is most prejudiced against,
according to a major new survey of public attitudes.
Jul 17, 2003 (Magazine) 
Councils must
check age of asylum seekers
A high court judge has ruled that local authorities
must make a proper investigation into the age of young
unaccompanied asylum seekers and not just go on the way they
look.
Jul 15, 2003
Attitude
problem
The UK’s twitching suburban curtains hide a
suspicious and misinformed people. So it’s time the media began to
recognise the positive contribution made to this country by asylum
seekers, writes Melissa Benn.
Jul 10, 2003 (Magazine) 
Child
detentions ‘must be reviewed’
Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown last week urged
he Home Office to “review its policy” on detaining the children of
asylum seekers, backing Community Care’s campaign aim to stop this
practice.
Jul 10, 2003 (Magazine) 
The long
walk to freedom
For too long women asylum seekers and refugees have
been invisible, locked away from British society through fear or
abuse. But change is on the way as services recognise the
contribution these women can make, reports Janet
Snell.
Jul 8, 2003
New
doctors’ contract to boost investment in asylum
services
Primary care services for refugees and asylum
seekers will receive a boost following the overwhelming vote by the
UK’s GPs in favour of a new contract, the government has
predicted, writes Craig Kenny.
Jul 3, 2003

Wrexham
riots lead to call for change

Housing policy should be changed and greater
support offered to refugees living in Wrexham after riots on a
council estate there.
Jul 3, 2003 (Magazine) 
Delegates
attack media over asylum
Media coverage of asylum seekers came under attack
from trade unionists last week as Unison delegates at their annual
conference denounced newspaper reports linking refugees with
criminality and abuses of the benefits system.
Jun 26, 2003 (Magazine) 
Housing body
reveals extent of exploitation by private landlords
The Chartered Institute of Housing is urging the
government to examine why some housing agencies are unwilling or
unable to provide accommodation to asylum seekers and
refugees.
Jun 26, 2003 (Magazine) 
Story
tellers
Refugees often need to tell their painful stories
through other people. But trained and trusted interpreters are in
short supply, with potentially disastrous conseqeunces for asylum
applicants. Natalie Valios reports.
Jun 26, 2003 (Magazine) 
Integrate or
isolate
As the government prepares another refugee
integration strategy, Anabel Unity Sale looks at how the
integration of new arrivals could be smoothed by a more inclusive
approach to asylum seekers.
Jun 19, 2003 (Magazine) 
Sheffield
united
The asylum seekers team in Sheffield combines
housing and social work expertise with a media-savvy approach to
making its case for a compassionate attitude to refugees. Graham
Hopkins reports.
Jun 19, 2003 (Magazine) 

Community Care
calls on Tory leader to apologise for “inflammatory” language on
asylum

Community Care has written to Conservative leader
Iain Duncan Smith urging him to apologise publicly for the
“pejorative” language used by his MPs when referring to
asylum seekers and refugees, writes Derren
Hayes.
Jun 18, 2003

Processing
system is ‘catastrophic’

Immigration minister Beverley Hughes has admitted
that the asylum system has been catastrophic in recent years and
that the government’s inability to deal with the backlog of asylum
applications in the UK has been attracting asylum seekers to the
country.
May 15, 2003

Government
told to reduce detention of child asylum seekers

An influential group of MPs has told the government
child asylum seekers should only be detained for short periods,
writes Clare Jerrom.
May 12, 2003

Government
claims rise of quarter in asylum seeker removals
The government claims nearly a quarter more asylum
seekers were removed from Britain in the last year compared to
2001-02.

May 8, 2003

‘Appeals
system needs reform’
Asylum and refugee organisations have urged the
government to reform the asylum appeals process in evidence
presented to MPs.

May 1, 2003

First
forcible return of Afghan refugees
About 20 failed Afghan asylum seekers were forcibly
repatriated this week by the government despite concerns from
refugee organisations that the country remains unsafe.
May 1, 2003

Kurds lose
fight for harassment pay-out
A family of asylum seekers who were racially
harassed after being dispersed from London to a Glasgow housing
estate have failed to win damages from the Home Office.

Apr 24, 2003

news
analysis of damning inspection reports on removal
centres
Critical inspections of removal and reception
centres have fuelled fears about the government’s strategy on
asylum seekers, writes Sally Gillen.

Apr 18, 2003 

Long
detention causes child trauma
Children of asylum-seeking families who are
detained in removal centres experience physical, mental and social
harm, according to a new report by the charity Bail for Immigration
Detainees.
Apr 17, 2003
Inspectors
criticise five immigration centres for providing poor
services
Immigration centres housing unsuccessful asylum
seekers are failing to provide appropriate mental health care for
detainees or adequate services for children.

Apr 10, 2003 

Services
fail detained asylum seekers
Immigration centres housing unsuccessful asylum
seekers are failing to provide appropriate mental health care for
detainees or adequate services for children, according to the chief
inspector of prisons, writes Anabel Unity
Sale.
Apr 8, 2003
Fund set
to toughen grant procedures
The Community Fund has agreed to tighten up its
grant-making procedures, following the publication of a National
Audit Office review into its grant to an organisation for asylum
seekers.

Apr 3, 2003

Asylum seeker
with AIDS loses court fight to halt dispersal.
A asylum seeker with Aids lost her High Court bid
to stay in London this week, after she claimed that to be moved 200
miles away under the dispersal scheme would be a breach of her
human rights,writes Clare Jerrom.
Apr 3, 2003
Blunkett’s
‘zones of protection’ attacked
Refugee campaigners have hit out at proposals by
home secretary David Blunkett to develop “zones of protection” for
asylum seekers outside the UK.
Apr 3, 2003 

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