July 2021 - Status Now 4 All

July 31, 2021July 31, 2021

Home Office ‘misleading’ website

Disgraceful: 31 July 2021: Independent: Home Office set up fake website to deter asylum seekers from crossing Channel with ‘misleading’ claims

Exclusive: ‘On The Move’ website claims to offer ‘reliable information’ but does not disclose government affiliation

The Home Office set up a website targeting asylum seekers with “misleading” claims to deter them from journeying to Britain, The Independent can reveal.

It created a fake organisation called On The Move, complete with a logo and glossy branding, which claims to “provide migrants in transit with free, reliable and important information”.

Readmore here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/english-channel-crossings-home-office-website-b1894092.html

July 30, 2021July 30, 2021

Home Office breached article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights

30 July 2021: Guardian: Home Office failed to put in place system to protect detainees with HIV

High court judge issues ruling after man was denied antiretroviral medication for four days

The Home Office failed to put in place systems to protect detainees with HIV, a high court judge has ruled, after a man was denied lifesaving medication for four days.

The landmark ruling found that in failing to adequately care for people with HIV the Home Office breached article 3 of the European convention of human rights, which protects against inhuman and degrading treatment.

July 28, 2021July 30, 2021

70th anniversary of Refugee Convention

28 July 2021: Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, said: “The 70th anniversary of the Refugee Convention comes as the UK government is introducing its new Nationality and Borders Bill which, if passed, would completely undermine the vital human rights protections for refugees and asylum seekers in this Convention.

July 23, 2021September 16, 2023

ICIBI inspection of the use of hotels and barracks as contingency asylum accommodation

Updated 23 July 2021: An inspection of contingency asylum accommodation:
HMIP report on Penally Camp and Napier Barracks (November 2020 – March 2021) #ICIBI

Details

The inspectors conducted visits to both sites, Penally Camp on 16 and 17 February and Napier Barracks on 17 and 18 February. The ICIBI also returned for a further visit to Napier Barracks on 4 March.

On 8 March 2021 the then Chief Inspector, David Bolt, published interim high-level findings. This report is the fuller final report that was sent to the Home Office. It reflects the department’s factual accuracy checks, and includes forewords from David Bolt, the previous Chief Inspector, and David Neal, the current Chief Inspector.

There is also a copy of a letter sent in March from David Bolt to the Director General of Asylum and Protection.

This link contains

a foreword from the new ICIBI Dave Neal
letter from the previous ICIBI David Bolt to the Home Office, dated 21 March 2021
and the report from the Inspector of Prisons
The Home Office’s response to the report

Summary of findings for Napier Barracks and Penally Camp

July 20, 2021July 20, 2021

Invisible Kids: Childhood statelessness in the UK

20 July 2021: European Network on Statelessness: Childhood statelessness in the UK is not currently adequately understood by government officials, legal practitioners, judges, politicians, policy advocates, frontline service providers, local authority staff, and others.

The European Network on Statelessness has been working with its UK members to better understand the causes of childhood statelessness, the children affected, the consequences for them and their families, and what action could be taken to help prevent and reduce childhood statelessness in the UK.

July 19, 2021September 16, 2023

Regularisation of undocumented migrants will save lives and livelihoods – 19 July 2021 protest

Updated 19 July 2021: On 19 July 2021 the following petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/567681 calling for people without settled status to be granted citizenship came to Parliament. The petition gathered more than 100,000 signatures and so will be debated. See below for a link to the Youtube video of the debate, and transcript of the debate itself.

Demonstrations have been held around the country in support of the essence of this petition . StatusNow4All is live-streamed here on our Facebook page : https://fb.watch/v/aq9tSGxAj/, and see photos below.

On 19^th July the Status Now Network and Partner Organisations are Planning National Protest Actions to Coincide with the Amnesty Debate at Westminster Hall in London

***Below you will find details of the concern, events where you can protest in London and Coventry + a suggested letter to send to your MP + two leaflets to print off, a googledoc of social media suggestions, and an appeal for stewards.***

Status Now Network will join other organisations in a nationwide protest action while Westminster debates about providing ‘amnesty’ to undocumented migrants.

Status Now Network calls for Indefinite Leave to Remain for all undocumented migrants and those in the legal process living in Britain today. While SNN does not use the word ‘amnesty’ – because of its implication of wrongdoing – we nevertheless support all protest actions which aim to raise awareness of all the debates about routes to regularisation.

July 19, 2021July 22, 2021

I am a Londoner 20 July 2021 – keep the date free

Watch the recording of the event here: https://fb.watch/6SYzEynBHj/

The Festival of Ideas will explore our individual and collective visions and plans for strong communities in London.

About this event

Many Londoners are undocumented but rarely have the opportunity to share their experiences. This event will feature art, music, and poetry by people who are undocumented and living in London, reflecting on their experiences and sharing their hope and dreams. You will also have the chance to hear from several Londoners who are undocumented for an in-depth live moderated conversation during the session.

July 19, 2021November 13, 2021

MPs call for Status Now for Migrants: Simultaneous Rallies throughout England

StatusNow4All press release.

Updated 19 July 2021: Claudia Webbe, Member of Parliament for Leicester East, will today call for Status Now for all undocumented migrants.

On the evening of 19^th July 2021 Parliament’s Westminster Hall will debate a petition of 103,440 signatures that calls for the urgent regularisation of undocumented migrants with a safe pathway to citizenship after five years. A demonstration is planned outside of Downing Street to coincide with the debate and amplify the calls for justice for all undocumented migrants.

Ms Webbe has been leading a parliamentary campaign for a secure immigration status for all undocumented migrants. The Member of Parliament for Leicester East tabled the ground-breaking EDM 658 that called for Indefinite Leave to Remain for the first time in the history of the British Parliament. This was followed in February 2021 with EDM 1442 to reinforce this need.

July 19, 2021July 20, 2021

WEBINAR: TUES 20 July, 12 – 1.30pm: UP FROM DESTITUTION

Women and our children escaping persecution, war and ecological devastation, have a right to asylum and support.

LAUNCH OF: Up from Destitution, a survey of women seeking asylum and making immigration applications in the UK. Nearly half of the women surveyed had no income at all and 60% are living on an income so low that they are officially destitute.

PANEL INCLUDES:
All African Women’s Group (AAWG) – a self-help group of women seeking asylum
Refuge from Rape and Destitution – an initiative of Women Against Rape to end injustices in the asylum system and destitution imposed by government.

PANELLISTS WILL ADDRESS:

July 19, 2021September 6, 2021

Rising Calls for Health and Safety 4 ALL

StatusNow logo

19th July 2021: PRESS RELEASE: Rising Calls for Health and Safety 4 ALL
Debate in Parliament today coincides with simultaneous demonstrations

“As a health worker, I must be enabled to do my job to the best of my ability, not be confronted with this abuse and distress and trauma and expected to keep on working, keep on raising my children safety, while my man is threatened with this great danger”. Front Line Nurse, Daisy Motlogwa

“It is incredible that we let unknown numbers of people languish without documentation, forced into the “unofficial” economy or worse. People who can work, want to work and pay taxes should be brought into the mainstream.” Tony Lloyd MP for Rochdale

July 19, 2021July 19, 2021

Care4Calais: We are heartbroken to report the death of a young man from Sudan who was living in a London hotel visited by our volunteers

19 July 2021: Poem by Loraine Masiya Mponela:

Do not let Bukhariri be forgotten for in the system there are many Bukhariris

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021

StatusNow4All Regional Groups

We have StatusNow4All Regional Groups – you will find their email addresses below:

July 11, 2021September 16, 2023

Manchester Protest Against Immigration Bail Reporting on 15 July 2021

Manchester Protest Against Immigration Bail Reporting on July 15^th from 1-3pm, the Home Office Reporting Centre, Dallas Court, Salford, M50 2GF

***Click here on our events category for more events coming up***

Video from the event, and photos below:

Mariam SNN North West working group leader profiling Status Now outside Dallas Court Salford today

July 9, 2021July 9, 2021

Aspen cards and surveillance of people in the asylum system

Reports coming in from around the country about serious delays in the changeover of ‘Aspen’ card provider on 21 May 2021, leaving people destitute; see the Home Office ‘fix’ as an attachment below … but people are still without money for food two weeks later.

Update from signatory organisation PositiveAction in Housing: The Aspen Card Crisis

More than six weeks on, the Home Office admits that 7% of asylum seekers have still not received their debit card (Aspen). The Home Office would not give the actual figure, but we believe this translates to roughly 4,500 asylum seeking men, women and children across the U.K. still affected by the Aspen card crisis.

Complaints are coming in to our office at the rate of 25 to 30 cases per week and we expect this to continue. This is on top of the current caseload of 83 asylum-seeking families (including 16 children and babies) left without money for food. Contrary to what Home Office ministers imply, those who live in private accommodation or hotels do not receive Emergency Crisis Payments. And many people report that they have received random amounts without back payments.

To increase capacity, we have teamed up with Latta & Co Solicitors in Glasgow and Duncan Lewis in London to take up some of the most urgent cases that are not getting sorted. This means using Pre Action Protocols and Judicial Review, if necessary. To minimise unnecessary delays we are liaising directly with the Home Office, instead of going through MigrantHelp. This approach means we get a quicker response.

July 5, 2021September 16, 2023

Status Now newsletter June 2021

The theme of this year’s Refugee Week is ‘We cannot walk alone” which is absolutely right in so many ways. StatusNow4All campaigners welcome new organisations because we are stronger when we work together, and we welcome the amazing energy that individual organisations have for pushing for changes in the way that people who have no settled status are written and talked about..

Status Now Network’s campaign is gaining traction. Organisations continue to join – most recently, we welcome the Scotland contingent representing East and Southeast Asian communities in Scotland.

We are winning: we will render the hostile environment friendly, and we ask you to continue supporting our actions until we achieve our goal: Indefinite Leave to Remain for all undocumented migrants and those in the legal process.

Join StatusNow4All!