Category: Why do we call for Status Now

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Shoulder to shoulder – everywhere – until deportations stop and statusnow4all starts

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This Network stands shoulder to shoulder with all those committed to ending the Home Office’s plans to deport anyone, to any country.

Like many other big businesses whose profits have increased during COVID, the travel company contracted by the Home Office to operate several of this summer’s flights, TUI, is making a killing – in more ways than one (See Corporate Watch’s depth analysis on TUI published in January of this year).

When signatory organisation Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC) alerted us in April to a flight that targeted people from Vietnam, it was just days after the Home Office had been exposed – yet again – for breaching its own deportation rules.

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‘My life is frozen’

From StatusNow signatory Jesuit Refugee Service: ‘My life is frozen’ – life in limbo for people seeking asylum

The impact of having their lives put on hold is devastating for refugee friends

This week the Independent published a special report looking at the lives of people seeking asylum, who are forced to live in limbo. As they spend years waiting on a decision to be made on their asylum claim, they live in great uncertainty, banned from working, and at risk of exploitation and abuse. These stories echo the harrowing experiences of the friends of JRS who are battling this hostile system, which is founded on suspicion. As they desperately seek to be recognised as refugees, they struggle to survive.

Data shows over 1,200 people seeking asylum currently in the system, have waited more than five years, with 399 more than a decade.

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Secret deal to remove Zimbabweans from UK

StatusNow4All network members picked up intelligence about people being summarily snatched when reporting or at home – you will find below a series of updates since then.

Below you will find a petition, a suggested letter for your MP, information about demonstrations, letter from APPG Zimbabwe asking the Government to take note of the dangerous situation and halt the removal of people to that country,

We are reminded that UK Governments over many years have often acted in their own interests, and have broken agreements or made deals with the Zimbabwean Government, regardless of the impact on Zimbabwean people.

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EU citizens are the guinea pigs of the new digital border system

Updated 2 August 2021: Guardian: EU citizens who applied to stay in Britain facing threat of deportation

The Home Office appears to be in breach of the Brexit withdrawal agreement, says legal charity

European citizens who have applied for settled status are being detained and threatened with deportation, a development that contradicts assurances from ministers and appears to contravene the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

The Home Office has served EU nationals with removal directions even though they could prove they had applied for settled status, which should protect their rights to remain in the UK.

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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.

Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/30/home-office-failed-put-in-place-system-protect-detainees-with-hiv

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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

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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.

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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 19th 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.

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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 19th 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.

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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:

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Rising Calls for Health and Safety 4 ALL

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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

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Manchester Protest Against Immigration Bail Reporting on 15 July 2021

Manchester Protest Against Immigration Bail Reporting on July 15th 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
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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.

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