News

Asylum and refugee destitution has doubled, says trust

Destitution among refused asylum seekers and refugees in Britain has more than doubled in 18 months, according to a report which describes government policy on the issue as "unacceptable".

The number of children affected has quadrupled and rough sleepers have increased by a third, says the follow-up study by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
Read more on this story in The Guardian

Easy divorce 'has left the elderly lonely and depressed'

Divorce and separation are blighting the lives of millions of older people, a Labour think-tank said yesterday. It found that isolation among the elderly has been made worse by increasing numbers of couples breaking up.

A report from the Institute for Public Policy Research said that the rising number of the aged and the tendency of women to outlive their husbands is also contributing to depression and unhappiness.

Read more on this story in The Daily Mail

Foreign visa curbs to tackle forced marriages

Teenage foreign brides and bridegrooms are to be barred from entering Britain on marriage visas under measures announced yesterday to tackle forced weddings.

The minimum age at which British citizens can sponsor a foreigner to enter the country as a spouse is to rise from 18 to 21, as is the minimum age at which a bride or groom can themselves enter on a marriage visa.