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MASI: Statement on the Programme for Government

MASI: Statement on the Programme for Government, 19 June 2020:

The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland welcomes the inclusion of ending the abhorrent system of Direct Provision in the negotiated programme for government. For the first time since the system of Direct Provision was introduced 20 years ago, there is acceptance that it cannot go on any longer. MASI commends the Green Party for their insistence that ending Direct Provision must be included in the programme for government. The recognition that capital investment will be required in order to move to a more humane asylum reception process and an end to the profiteering racket that is Direct Provision is welcomed as a point of departure.

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Refugee Week special Stay Home for Labour

Shaista spoke about Status Now at 1hr 17 mins on this Zoom event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGeBUdY-ps

This is a powerful discussion, giving a voice to people with lived experience, also featuring Shami Chakrabarti, Alf Dubs and Jeremy Corbyn.

Follow up to the Refugee Week special

Crispin from Stay Home for Labour writes: An edited version of Wednesday’s Refugee Week special – the full show is also available on YouTube.

Our Refugee Week show on Wednesday evening was emotional and inspiring and showed just how noble and brave refugees are and how much we urgently need to support them.

Refugee Tales featured at the beginning of the show and you find out more about their mission to tell the story of refugees here.

The Status Now 4 All campaign which also featured on the show aims to make sure everyone’s basic needs are met during the current Covid-19 pandemic and affirms that the only way to ensure this happens is by giving Leave to Remain to all refugees and migrants both inside and outside of the asylum and immigration system. You can find out about their campaign and petition here.

If you able to support future Stay Home for Labour discussions with a donation, it would be very welcome. The shows aim to raise awareness of issues, give a voice to the grassroots and raise morale during this bleak period.

All the best

Crispin Flintoff
Stay Home for Labour
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Asylum Seekers Face Isolation and Destitution amid Covid-19

16.6.2020: Rethinking Security: Loraine Masiya Mponela, the chairperson of Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group (CARAG), reflects on the unique challenges being faced by asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in the UK during the pandemic.

Asylum seekers are people whose request for protection is yet to be processed. International law provides that anyone has a right to seek asylum from persecution. Undocumented migrants are people who have spent many years in the UK, often building strong ties and family life, but still have diminished rights.  

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International Domestic Workers day, 16 June 2020

Dear Friends

This letter comes to you from our Status Now Network signatory, the Kanlungan Filipino Consortium and their partner, the Filipino Domestic Workers Association.

“We salute the invisible workforce of domestic workers and celebrate their contribution to society on this International Domestic Workers day, 16 June 2020.

Yet many domestic workers in the UK,  and indeed all over the world, are migrants.  They are extremely vulnerable because their visas often tie them to an individual employer.  This gives the employer enormous power over them and can expose these workers to violence and sexual abuse. Many of our undocumented workers work in almost slave-like conditions.

At the height of the corona virus pandemic, many domestic workers lost their jobs because their employers were afraid they might “carry” the virus.  Many of them who were “live in” were evicted   rendered homeless. They were pushed into overcrowded accommodation with friends and relatives. Some contracted the virus and some died. Many of those who kept their jobs were confined with their employers in the lockdown and ended up having to serve their employers day and night.

But also many thousands of these domestic workers, also carers for isolated elderly people, have provided them with vital care during the pandemic thus far. These workers were shown to be literally “lifesavers” for many vulnerable people in our communities:

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Allaine

This is not Allaine

Allaine (not her real name) came to the UK, on a domestic worker visa in 2017. She looked after a 2 year old twin and 2 other children for a couple from Qatar. They had been badly abusing her both when they were in Quatar, and in the UK. They continued to beat her and verbally abuse her, and often only gave her left overs to eat. They also kept her passport from her.

One day she managed to escape her employers with the help of a neighbour, and she was referred to the National Referral Mechanism -NRM for trafficked people. Allaine was traumatised by the persistent physical and verbal abuse of her employers.

The NRM recognised her as a trafficked person but she still has no decision from the Home Office about her status.

Continue reading “Allaine”
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MASI – Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland

Lucky Khambule, co-ordinator of MASI – Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, says: “Since the start of the Covid19, MASI has always been critical of the way the Department for Justice and Equality responded in assuring the safety of those seeking asylum and living in direct provision. Currently there are over 60 direct provision centres and emergency hotels accommodating, with about 7,500 asylum seekers in the Ireland. For the past 14 months there has been an increase in the number of new applications and this has made the government accommodate people beyond centres’ capacity.

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Migrant Rights’ Network

Fizza Qureshi, CEO of Migrant Rights’ Network: “At a time of an unprecedented public health crisis, we need this government to react with a humane response so no migrant fears accessing healthcare, or any other service they need. MRN along with others urges the UK government to offer legal status to all undocumented migrants, and those awaiting a decision on their immigration claim, and on public health grounds because everyone deserves safety and protection during these difficult times.”

http://www.rapar.co.uk/news/access-to-health-and-safety-for-all

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Carla and her husband Cedic

https://www.kanlungan.org.uk/

Carla and her husband Cedic, who have been in the UK since 2013, have a 6 months old child. They live in a room in a 7 bedroom house with at least 13 other undocumented workers, one of the rooms is occupied by another family with two children and other residents are health care workers in the NHS.

They work as domestic workers in two different private households.

Cedic looks after an elderly man. Because of the lockdown, they were told by their employers not to report to work anymore and they will not receive any pay. They are very worried because of living with their baby in their cramped accommodation and some of their housemates are exposed to the virus in the hospital.

They are worried about having money for their food and rent. They are also anxious about their families back home in the Philippines, as they are no longer able to send financial support to them.

Carla and Cedic each have children in the Philippines from earlier marriages. They are also both supporting their elderly parents. They fear that if the lockdown lasts a long time they are going to go hungry and their families in the Philippines will also go hungry.

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ATD Fourth World UK

“Now, more than ever, it is imperative to ensure that the most vulnerable of us are protected. Those in immigration limbo are overlooked, unsupported and left to struggle; the COVID 19 pandemic once again shows the fragility of their existence and we call for them to receive the care and attention we all deserve, not just now, but always.

“Although we are glad to see some public policy measures being taken to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on people in deep poverty, we are reminded that it is only on the ground that it is possible to measure that impact and to understand whether policies are actually reaching their intended beneficiaries. Expertise by experience is essential to getting the response right, as demonstrated by this Open Letter.” 

http://www.rapar.co.uk/news/access-to-health-and-safety-for-all

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Irene

This is not Irene

Irene (not her real name) came to the UK in 2013, brought here as his maid by her rich Saudi employer. Her pay was only £200 per month working long hours every day 7 days a week. She looked after 5 children as well as doing all the house- work. She escaped from her employer one day and has stayed in the UK without documentation.

She got a job as a carer for a couple who were both severely ill – the man had a brain tumour and the woman had breast cancer. Irene looked after them for many years until the main died from the tumour.

Continue reading “Irene”
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Immigration changes affecting domestic workers from abroad

Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos live in the UK and thousands are employed in frontline health services and care work. Many others, including undocumented workers, have jobs in domestic work, cleaning, hotels and other private sector services.

The COVID19 pandemic is wreaking havoc in our community in the UK. This shrine is to honour all those who have lost their lives, who will be remembered forever.

Members of the Filipino community are invited to contact us if you would like your loved ones to be included in this shrine

info@kanlungan.org.uk

https://www.kanlungan.org.uk/current-project/shrine-of-love

…

ILPA: 5.4.2012: Overseas Domestic Workers
On 6 April 2012, the Immigration Rules relating to overseas domestic workers will change. This information sheet provides information about the changes.

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Elena

This is not Elena’s photo.

Elena (not her real name) came to the UK in 2010, to work in a care home, which sponsored her visa. She acquired an NVQ level 3 in health and social care.

When the time came for her employer to apply for her visa extension, the UK government had changed the rules for migrant care workers and she lost both her right to stay and her job.

Continue reading “Elena”
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Why do people need Leave to Remain now

StatusNow logo

Open Letter to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is calling on both governments to create access to health and safety for all. People can sign the petition, just launched, HERE.  

#healthandsafetyforall

The Open Letter, which has been signed by 65 organisations in the UK and Ireland (see ‘Organisation Signatories’ list for updates), says it is imperative that everyone’s basic needs are met during the current Covid-19 pandemic and the only way to ensure this happens is by giving Leave to Remain to all refugees and migrants both inside and outside of the asylum and immigration system.

Continue reading “Why do people need Leave to Remain now”