EU Commission makes distinction between support for 'asylum facilities' and plans for 'reception centres' in North Africa
[News item on 'euobserver.com']

EU: "SAFE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN": (Draft) "Minimum common list of safe countries of origin"
(On the 'Statewatch' website)

Civil Society in an Enlarged Union
Citizens Rights
Citizenship & Governance

"ECAS supports the Commission's recommendation for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania on 1 January 2007.."

Pan-European Citizens’ Consultations: (Brussels on the 7-8 Oct 06). 200 citizens from all 25 Member States to discuss the overall question of “what Europe do we want?”

Partnership Forum - 4 C's for Civil Society: (Brussels, 10 Oct 06) in collaboration with the EU Commission and Committee of Regions - in European Week of Citities and Regions -(Registration Form)

Europäisches Migrationszentrum - Information, Research and Documentation centre on EU migration at the Berliner Institut für Vergleichende Sozialforschung , incl the

EUROPEAN MIGRATION NETWORK: 'A Virtual Information Exchange System on Migration and Asylum in Europe'

Law, statistics and research on EU migration and asylum - provided for the European Community, its Member States and in the longer term the general public.

For theUK, see also the Immigration Research and Statistics Service (IRSS) - of the Research Development and Statistics Directorate of the Home Office.

See also, just published- Jan 2007: IAS-HJT Research Report on Iraq: "Is Iraq in the grip of an "internal armed conflict" within the meaning of Article 15 of the Refugee Qualification Directive?

"The Home Office has been chaotic and cruel in the way it has released these men. Even when it is releasing them it appears to be doing it in the most shambolic, and therefore cruellest, way possible." (Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, in the Independent 14 March 2005.

The first 'control orders' following the new 'Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005' have already been issued (link to new Act on HMSO website)

"Law lords condemn Blunkett's terror measures" (Independent On-line edition)

"Lords and masters: Ministers need to change the law, not abandon it" (Times Online)

"He was a dangerous man" (Simon Jenkins in the Times on the former Home Secretary)

'A & others v the Secretary of State for the Home Department' (The full judgment on the House of Lords website)

Robert Winder, author of "Bloody Foreigners: The Story of Immigration to Britain", writing in the Independent, 19/04/05, (On-line version by subscription) recalling the parallels with the political debate on the Aliens Bill, this week in 1905

By Ruth Kelly and Liam Byrne, proposing, inter alia, a new' national day for Britain'; "....our liberalism and tolerance have never been unconditional...[suggesting that] migrants work towards earning citizenship with credits awarded for voluntary work and deducted for law breaking." June 2007. (Link to Fabians.org.uk)

"Rules to make migrants integrate"(by Patrick Wintour and Alan Travis, in GuardianUnlimted); "...Under the plans.....every teenager in the UK would be given a citizenship pack when they became eligible to vote, and migrants would only be able to become British citizens if they could demonstrate good behaviour and a willingness to integrate."

"Lessons on citizenship" (by Sandy Buchan,Chief executive, Refugee Action, in GuardianUnlimied); "....It would be shameful to suggest that [refugees] should have to earn rights that the rest of us take for granted.....Treating newcomers as second-class citizens is divisive."

"The system denies fair play to asylum seekers not out of malice but because of a lack of resources." Sir John Waite, co-chairman of the commission and a former Appeal Court judge, said this particular issue was a "blemish" on the UK's reputation. (BBC News)

"'Inhumane and oppressive': the final verdict on Britain's asylum policy" (Emily Dugan in The Independent, 27/03/08)
"Three areas of the system came under particular fire. The use of detention centres – especially to lock up children, pregnant women and torture victims – was condemned, as was the often brutal handling of removals, and the use of destitution as a tool to drive claimants out of the country."

Link to the full report: "FIT FOR PURPOSE YET?" - The Independent Asylum Commission’s Interim Findings - In association with the 'CITIZEN Organising Foundation': "The Commission has found that the UK asylum system is improved and improving, but is not yet fit for purpose. The system still denies sanctuary to some who genuinely need it and ought to be entitled to it; is not firm enough in returning those whose claims are refused; and is marred by inhumanity in its treatment of the vulnerable."

Further publications due in May, June and July, incl recommendations.

UK Govt. announces intention to sign the European Convention on Trafficking

Parosha Chandran: [This] " is very significant...Victim protection is the cornerstone of any policy against trafficking. Victims won’t give evidence unless they feel safe...."

Link to: 'Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.'

Link to: Schedule of current status of signatories and ratifications (Feb 2007)

Link also to the Appendix for details of all EU member state responses

For all Statewatch news releases see http://www.statewatch.org/news/ and link HERE to the Statewatch 'Observatory on EU asylum and immigration policy'

Home Office guide to information requests under the FOI Act

"Information Rights" by Philip Coppel (Sweet & Maxwell 2004)

"Three million people a year migrate from developing countries to industrialised nations.. The US ....attracts 1 million immigrants a year, more than any other country... 1.4 million people moved to Europe, though the continent was still facing unprecedented population losses from low birth rates." (Guardian Unlimited reporting on the 2006 'World Population Data Sheets' published by the Washington based 'Population Reference Bureau') ;

"Migration is really going to be necessary if you are ever going to maintain a normal population level in Europe." (Hans-Peter Kohler,Associate Professor of Sociology University of Pennsylvania )

".....Last year 164,635 people were approved for citizenship – seven per cent up on the year before, and equal to one every three minutes. ...[and - during 2006]..An estimated 400,000 people are quitting Britain every year. Just over half – 207,000 – are British citizens..." (Tom Whitehead Home Affairs Correspondent, Daily Express, 21/5/08)

Link to: Home Office Immigration & Asylum Statistics (May 2008):

Persons Granted British Citizenship United Kingdom 2007

Quarterly Asylum Statistics First Quarter 2008

"The threat from armed groups and states set on mass killing gives fresh urgency to calls for global criteria on intervention" Phillip Bobbit (author of "The Sheild of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History" and " Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-first Century") in The Guardian (16/06/2008)

Link to the full UNHCR Report: Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries 2007

"Carey urges immigration control": "....the issue of immigration will not go away and I hope that [the new PM] will impose stricter controls on those entering the United Kingdom...." (Lord Carey, former Archibishop, on BBC News)

See also: "Law Centres calls on Government for a new funding settlement"
John Fitzpatrick, Chair of the LAW CENTRES FEDERATION (LCF) : " this campaign is saying that people [who need our services] above all deserve our commitment to the fight for the services that they need,”

Link to the full judgment in R (on the application of Bapio Action Limited and another) (Respondents) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and another (Appellant) on the House of Lords judgements website

"£2 billion is a considerable amount on legal aid – considerably more in fact than any other comparable jurisdiction – it is not the case that under-funding is the problem. [...but it...] does require us to find efficiencies in the procurement system that can enable us to continue to deliver a world-class service....I believe the future of our legal profession does lie in the reforms that are soon to be underway – but in a broader context – the future of our profession lies in reconnecting with the public." (Lord Falconer's speech - on the DCA website)

BBC NEWS report on reaction by Parliamentary Select Committee on proposals for reform of the office of Lord Chancellor

Link here to the published report of the Constitutional Affairs Committee on the new Supreme Court on the House of Commons website

"Multiculturalism: A Civic Idea" by Tariq Modood (Polity, 21st May 2007)

"They Are Children Too: a study of Europe's deportation policies" - by Liz Fekete, European Race Audit, Insitute of Race Relations (IRR) - issue nos. 58 and 59 of the IRR European Race Bulletin. 76 pages, ISBN 0 85001 0675: To order your copy @£10, see IRR )

Refugee Council campaign - and new report on alternatives (Aug 2006)

See also the NCB (National Childrens Bureau) ARC website for the 'Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children: Developing Good Practice Project' - for practioners and managers working with separated or unaccompanied refugee children and young people

"Fear of job stampede offshore 'unfounded'" (David Gow, 'GuardianUnlimited'); "...but developing nations are being plundered for skilled staff to keep Britain growing ......and Germany is planning laws to revent cash-rich economies such as China taking over domestic firms and exporting employment...."

Government to challenge Lawrence killer deportation decision

"The government will "very vigorously" appeal against an immigration tribunal decision to allow the killer of the London headteacher Philip Lawrence to remain in the UK after he is released from prison......" (GuardianUnlimited, 21Aug07)

Lawrence killer ruling appeal 'hopeless'

"Solicitor for Philip Lawrence's killer claims that Government has no grounds to appeal against his client staying in UK ..." (TimesOnline, 21Aug07)

Link to 'Executive Summary' of the Determination on the 'Judiciary.gov.uk' website (Elec.copy of the full determination not yet published)

Refugee Council response to Joseph Rowntree inquiry into asylum seeker destitution

"“We hope this balanced and reasonable report, from an independent inquiry, will finally convince the government that its policy towards refused asylum seekers has failed and that urgent reform is needed." (Anna Reisenberger, acting Chief Executive of the Refugee Council)