Thursday 23 May 2013

Debt free

Rachel White interviews Musab and Solomon about the project they started in Leeds to help refugees and asylum seekers understand their financial problems, and to help them live within their means.

".these reforms [welfare reforms] will undoubtedly make things worse"

Read the full article in the latest edition of One Planet Leeds

Just Play Football

Steve McVeagh interviews Isa Turkoglu about the Football Association's Just Play scheme. Isa, a former professional footballer in Iran, talks about football coaching in Leeds.

"One of the greatest rewards of being a football player is feeling like you are part of a 'family'."

Read the full article in the latest edition of One Planet Leeds

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Still Human Still Here (in Leeds)

Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network will today ask the council to support the aims of Still Human Still Here in order to combat the devastating affect of destitution among asylum seekers in Leeds.

Still Human Still Here is a coalition of over 50 organisations that are campaigning to end the destitution of thousands of refused asylum seekers in the UK. The coalition believes that the current policy is inhumane and ineffective and is urging the Government to:

  • Provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with sufficient support so that they can meet their essential living needs until they are returned to their country of origin or are given permission to stay in the UK;
  • Provide free access to healthcare for all asylum seekers while they are in the UK;
  • Grant asylum seekers permission to work if their case has not been resolved within six months or they have been refused, but temporarily cannot be returned through no fault of their own ;
  • Improve decision making and ensure that all those in need of protection receive it.
Read more: http://lassn.org.uk/lassn-call-on-leeds-city-council-to-prevent-destitution/

Thursday 2 May 2013

Locked up without limit


10 people have been locked up solely under the immigration act for up to 4.4 years (a mind-numbing 32 years between them). A recent Freedom of Information request revealed that the ten longest detentions as of December 2012 were:

A secure area4.4 years    (1,620 days)    Male
4.1 years    (1,522 days)    Male
3.6 years    (1,348 days)    Male
3.6 years    (1,117 days)    Female
3.0 years    (1,096 days)    Male
2.9 years    (1,063 days)    Male
2.8 years    (1,033 days)    Male
2.7 years    (1,019 days)    Male
2.7 years    (1,018 days)    Male
2.6 years    (980 days)    Male


Remember that there is no limit on the length that someone can be detained under the immigration act - unlike the terrorism act!

http://www.no-deportations.org.uk/index.html