Belgium: Detained children to be released
UK: Struggle for rights of young asylum seekers ends in triumph
The 17-year struggle for the rights of asylum-seeking children is over, and campaigners are celebrating victory. The UK government has lifted its reservation to the application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child's to asylum-seeking children, marking a triumphant end to a 17-year battle for campaigners.
Click here for full story from communitycare.co.uk
EU: Immigration debate intensifies as European economy falters
Several thousand people took to the streets of France's capital to protest against sweeping new immigration guidelines agreed by EU leaders as the British government warned of tougher entry restrictions owing to the financial downturn.
Immigration as an economic issue is exercising governments across Europe with unemployment set to rise as recession threatens in the fallout from the global financial crisis.
Click here for full article from afp.google.com
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visits Italy
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a group of independent experts reporting to the UN Human Rights Council, completed today a two-week official visit to Italy. "We have enjoyed in all respects the fullest cooperation from the Italian Government and have been allowed to visit all places of detention we had requested and to interview in private detainees of our choice, without any restriction.", they told journalists today in Rome.
The main reason for the Working Group's visit to Italy, which included Rome, Naples, Milan and Eastern Sicily (Caltanissetta and Cassibile), was to obtain first hand information on the deprivation of freedom in centres for irregular migrants and asylum seekers.
UK: Detention units 'fail on health'
Children held in UK detention centres are not getting the medical care they need, a leading medical journal warns.
An editorial in the Lancet says the 2,000 children held each year miss out on vaccinations and highlights concerns raised about individual cases. It says a new Immigration and Citizenship Bill proposed for next year should rule out routine detention of children in the future.
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France: Human Rights Commissioner concerned with human rights protection in detention
“Security concerns should not undermine a full respect for human rights norms. Some French policies on detention and immigration risk undermining these standards.” With these words, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, presented today his report on France, identifying problems as regards prison conditions, preventive detention (rétention de sûreté), juvenile justice and rights of migrants.
Click here for link to full story from Council of Europe
Click here to download Hammarberg's report
IDC Members Malta: Press Release: IDC launch
PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION
TO: The Editor
FROM: Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Graffiti, Integra Foundation, JRS Malta, Koperattiva Kummerc Gust (KKG), Kopin, Third World Group, and STOPoverty!
DATE: June 22, 2006
Launch of the International Coalition on the Detention of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants
As the international community commemorates World Refugee Day, hundreds of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers all over the world are deprived of their liberty in closed camps and detention centres, which are often little more than prisons. Read more
ECRE: Report: What price does a refugee pay to reach Europe?
ECRE, through its member agencies across Europe, has collected a number of refugee stories in support of its advocacy on Access to Europe.
These stories demonstrate the devastating impact that restrictions to access have on people's lives. The testimonies have been grouped into four recurring themes: dangerous journeys, human rights violations in transit countries, abuses suffered at the EU borders and denial of access to the asylum procedure.
Click here to download full report from ECRE
UK: Children being held too long at immigration detention centre
Children are being incarcerated for too long at an immigration removal centre and becoming distressed and scared, according to prison inspectors in the UK.
The average length of time children are being held at the Yarl's Wood centre in Bedfordshire has almost doubled from 8 to 15 days in the last two years, an HM Inspectorate of Prison report found.
Click here for full story from telegraph.co.uk
Europe: AIRE Centre Report: Immigration, Asylum & Detention
A key attribute of national sovereignty is the right of States to admit or exclude aliens from their territory. However, many of those who arrive on their territory or at their borders without visas or without a right to enter or remain cannot be returned. They may simply not have the documentation to facilitate this. They may be claiming international protection: asylum under the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees or protection under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights which prohibits expulsion to face prohibited treatment.
This paper looks at the compatibility of imposing restrictions on such persons' liberty and movement.
Click here to download report in full