Seasonal Message

Hope you all have a Happy New Year !

Immigration detention damages children's health

The Royal Colleges of General Practitioners, Paediatrics and Child Health, and Psychiatrists, and the UK Faculty of Public Health have warned the UK government that detaining children in “immigration centres” puts them at risk of mental health problems and significant harm.

Australia and Sweden have already banned detaining migrant children but in the notorious Yarl’s Wood “removal centre” alone, the UK government imprisons 1,000 children every year.

Life for these children is stark and conditions are appalling. Self harm is described as commonplace, while suicide notes are simply ignored. Other issues common to the children include:

• Lack of immunisations
• Failure to treat injuries (including broken arms)
• Lack of access to registered children’s’ nurse
• Emotional and psychological regression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Bed-wetting
• Weight-loss
• Clinical depression
• Suicidal behaviour
  
  These are innocent children being kept in so-called “centres” that are essentially prisons run by private companies for private profit at the taxpayer’s expense (Yarl’s Wood is run by Serco). There is no need to keep them there. It is a costly and cruel practice. Most of them are the children of families seeking asylum in the UK who are not likely to abscond. There is no reason why they should not simply be lodged at residential hostels, rather than locked up like criminals. Even Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the children's commissioner for England, has said: "It is time for this inhumane practice to end."

Refugee Radio / Football Club of Canacona

What is the connection Refugee Radio has with the Football Club of Canacona ?
Discover the answer and find out where Canacona is here.

380 Miles in 10 Days
You will learn about the The Konkan Coast Challenge which involves running a distance of 380 miles (612 KM) along the coast.

You could be in Brighton Festival 2010

Are you an adult speaker of a language other than English ?
Are you interested in participating in an artistic event at the Brighton Festival in 2010 ?

Did you answer Yes to these questions ?
If so then have a look at the opportunity here !

BBC Panorama about Migrants

The BBC Panorama programme recently covered the journey across the Sahara taken by migrants on their way to Europe.

Click here

EU Resettlement Proposals

The EU is planning proposals for resettlement in member countries.
Click here

Sunday Driver on 21 August

For those that missed it, it was a great gig. Plenty of people around in Victorian style and a corner of 'Victorian' artefacts.

The music was very good and you can catch up with Sunday Driver here.

If you still do not know what Steampunk is - check here.

The Refugee Radio Roadshow - Update

The big Refugee Radio event is happening at another venue so look carefully at the poster and take note of the differences with the previous version placed on this blog before !

You can also click on the image.

Media Selection

Here are some items from the national press:

1. Could you live on £5 per day ?
The subistance allowance paid to asylum seekers is going to be reduced.
Independent 30 July 2009

2. Comment by a trustee of Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust the on Asylum Policy
Independent 15 July 2009

3. The Guardian Immigration and Asylum section here

Crossing Borders / Refugee Radio

Listeners to Refugee Radio will have heard the interview which introduced Crossing Borders. Their website says that their aims are -

To improve health and healthcare of refugees and asylum seekers through projects, in which medical and healthcare students work with local communities and organisations.

More information online :

http://crossingborders.org.uk

and

http://www.medsin.org/projects/crossingborders

Note the definitions of asylum seeker and refugee on that page.

Please see more recent poster for new venue

Steampunk pioneers play in aid of the Refugee Radio Orchestra

Sunday Driver & The Refugee Radio Orchestra

Live @ The Latest Music Bar (formerly the Joogleberry),14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN1 1TF

Friday 21st August 8PM £6

Steampunk pioneers play in aid of the Refugee Radio Orchestra

Like an Indian Kate Bush from some mad alternative reality where the Victorians had access to spaceships, Sunday Driver are here to put the steam into Steampunk. With sitars and guitars, clarinets, tablas and god knows what else, this Cambridge six-piece mash up the East and the West, the past, present and future into a kind of science fiction folk music.

Sunday Driver ave played everywhere from Camden to Bangalore. Their new album, In the City of Dreadful Night, was inspired by Victorian London and Raj-era Calcutta. Their music has featured on Radio4 as the soundtrack to a documentary on leprosy (!). Sunday Driver are playing an exclusive show at the Latest Music Bar to raise funds for the Refugee Radio Orchestra, with support from global musicians.

Refugee Radio host a radio show every Sunday 8PM on RadioReverb 97.2FM and via podcast at www.refugeeradio.org.uk It works to combat racism and social exclusion by giving newcomers to the city the chance to tell their own story and share their music with their new community and it also works to support young refugee musicians.

From the BBC : £1m migrants project 'a scandal'

Read about the Government return home scheme for failed asylum seekers and their children and Children's Society report here

More Refugee Week : Be Patient

Regular readers (even contributors) of this blog will be familiar with the film Be Patient made by Martha McAlpine. It could be said that this blog exists as a result of the private screening of the film last October.

It is great to be able to inform you all that there will be another screening soon!

Next week is Refugee Week and on Monday 15th June there will be another chance to see the film in Brighton for this special week.

"The event is called Refugees - They're Welcome Here" this Monday 15th June at Community Base, (113 Queens Road) in Brighton.

It starts at 6:30pm with Food and films and continues with an open debate and speakers concerning Refugee Issues.

Here are some links with to the event information:

http://www.communitybase.org/refugeeweek/index.htm

http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/InYourArea/England/South+and+South+East

Be Patient is about Mensur Majied, a loveable Ethiopian who is also a very talented and widely known singer and musician.

Additional Event/Info:

Mensur will also be performing for Refugee week on Sunday evening (14th June) at Pavilion Theatre from 6:15pm and would love the support. The event is called "To seek and Enjoy".

Here is a link: http://www.bandbazi.co.uk/

Refugee Week 2009 Events in Brighton

Monday 15 June, 6.30pm

`Refugees - They're Welcome Here'

Free Open Debate at Community Base, 113 Queen's Road, Brighton

Food and films from 6:30pm, Discussion from 7:30pm with Fazil Kawani (Refugee Council), Mary Jane Burkett (Brighton Voices In Exile), Emma Ginn (Medical Justice) and Phil Davis (Refugee Action). More info and links on the Community Base website.


Tuesday 16 June, 10am - 5pm

Red Cross Free Information Day 'Who am I?'

Mary Magdalene Church Hall, 55 North Street, Brighton

An interactive event including taster sessions in emergency first aid, therapeutic care, quizzes, visual displays and information stands on a range of Red Cross services. Food provided by Brighton Voices in Exile who are hosting the event.


Thursday 18 June, 7.30pm

In Lewes: Westgate One World Centre, 92a High Street, Lewes

Charters, Champions and Change: A new agenda for women seeking asylum in the UK. Speaker: Carmen Kearney of Asylum Aid.


Friday 19 June, 11am - 4pm

Information & Awareness Day for refugees and asylum seekers hosted by the Black & Minority Ethnic Community Partnership. Free Entry

Clarendon Centre, 47 New England Street, Brighton

Advice, information and speakers on a range of practical issues such as health, training and employment, education and benefits. Interpreters provided. Delicious food from refugee communities.


Friday 19 June, 7.30pm

The Boys from Baghdad High (12+)

Film Screening hosted by Brighton & Hove Amnesty International Group at the Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton, Grand Parade, Brighton.

£5 (£3 concessions).Tickets are on sale now: 01273 709709 or book online on the Brighton Dome website.

Award winning British/Iraqi documentary (2007) filmed by four school friends in Baghdad. Living amid sectarian violence, their families face the dilemma of staying or fleeing the danger. Following the film will be a discussion with the film's producer and one of the 'Baghdad boys'.


Saturday 20 June

Refugee Week Football Tournament at the Brighton Rugby Club, Waterhall Road, Brighton. For more information call BMECP on 0300 3031171.

Refugee Radio Special Shows on Radio Reverb 97.2FM or via www.radioreverb.com at 3pm on Thursday 18th June and 4pm on Sunday 21st June. Alternatively download the shows as podcasts from www.refugeeradio.org.uk .

For more infomation on any of the above events you can call 01273 290477.
Thanks to NHS Brighton & Hove who are providing interpreters and translators for Refugee Week 2009 via Sussex Interpreting Services.

Source of this information:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/scip-discussion/message/10367

EVENT: REFUGEES THEY'RE WELCOME HERE!

A free Community Base event for Refugee Week 2009

Monday 15th June 2009
Community Base, 113 Queens Road Brighton

From 6:30pm

Details here

Notice of an upcoming event by Crossing Borders

“An evening of talks and performance exploring the challenges of accessing health care for refugees and asylum seekers, and the roles of health care professionals in tackling these.”

Wednesday May 27 2009 between 7:00-9:30. Free entry. All welcome
Audrey Emerton Building (opposite Royal Sussex County Hospital) Eastern Road, Brighton

There will be a performance from Actors for Human Rights entitled “Asylum Monologues”, followed by speakers within the field of migrant and asylum seeker health:

Susan Wright, Director of Médecins du Monde UK on "Migrants: should we treat them here or pay for them to get treated at home? A look at the legal and economic issues affecting access to health care for migrants" & the legendary Dr Frank Arnold of Medical Justice on "An insight into the health of migrants in detentions centres, and the work being carried out by health care professionals and the challenges they face."

The Times They Are A-Changing

Refugee Radio has a brand spanking new afternoon timeslot. We hope you can join us.

You can hear your favourite show every Thursday at 3pm and (most) Sundays at 4pm on RadioReverb 97.2FM.

If you miss the live broadcast, don't worry. You can download the shows as a podcast anytime you like on our website www.refugeeradio.org.uk

Phew!

Today 100

Just noting that as of today we have had 100 visitors here.

Refugee Week 2009 Event in Brighton

Listeners to Refugee Radio will know that Refugee Week is coming and that there is an event scheduled to take place in Brighton on 14 June.
Details here

NHS treatment for failed asylum seekers

Appeal courts ruled yesterday that failed asylum seekers with chronic illnesses were not entitled to free health care on the NHS. This undermines years of campaigning work to make sure everybody in the country is treated like a human being.

Sources report that hospitals still have the discretion to provide free treatment to anybody. But this is not news as doctors will always exercise such rights under their oaths. The real problem is not normally at the point of accessing treatment from doctors. Hospitals do not like to just turn people away. The problems come after treatment, when people suddenley receive whopping bills for treatments they had believed would be free.

Hospitals also employ people solely to scan patient's lists for foreign-sounding names and then check up on their legal status, ostensibly searching for "health tourists". Against all anti-discrimination legislation, people are being racially profiled and screened against their nationality. These employees actually patrol the wards in search of anyone they suspect.

We know of one man who was literally pulled out of his bed and had his oxygen mask removed. He was awaiting an operation but he was denied treatment, slung out of hospital and then sent a bill. He has crippled himself in bank loans trying to pay this back, even though he is a failed asylum seeker, barred from taking employment and living hand to mouth.

This new ruling is the further tightening of the screw against a vulnerable group who have been scapegoated for all society's ills, now facing a segregation worse than apartheid. The next step is death and illness, the suffering of children and public health issues. As a society that permits people with tuberculosis to go without treatment, will we just be getting what we deserve when infectious diseases spread? Because, after all, diseases do not discriminate.

Slough Judgement

Case Law Update – R (on the application of M) v Slough Borough Council

A recent ruling has plunged local authorities into chaos and thrown upheaval into the lives of destitute asylum seekers.

Until now, some failed asylum seekers have been able to count on their local council to provide a roof over their heads and some means of subsistence so long as they have shown that they have problems beyond mere destitution. Just because you were homeless or broke was not enough. Just because your case had been refused but the government could not remove you from the country was not enough. You had to prove that you had a physical disability or mental health issue as well.

Now, even these people’s support is in doubt. The new ruling means that councils have found a way to opt out of their obligation (under Section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948) and are looking to save money by throwing people into the street.

People need to be able to prove they have a “support need” for care and attention such as help with domestic chores, counselling or help adhering to medication as well. This is a very lax definition and it is clear from previous behaviour that different councils will have very different ways of interpreting it. Individuals will be left vulnerable to arbitrary evictions and terminations without any co-ordination between regions to find out what their rights might be elsewhere.

Local councils are once again being used to enforce punitive measures against asylum seekers to drive them out of the country through starvation and homelessness. Let’s hope that our local authority at least exercises humane restraint while we wait for this confusing decision to be challenged by future case law.

Argus report about Gatwick Protest

Report of anti-deportation protest at Tinsley House today here.

Ethiopian Film wins at Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou

The film festival known as FESPACO was held in Burkina Faso and the winning film is Teza by Director Haile Gerima.

Hopefully the films from FESPACO will make their way to Brighton.

News report from BBC News

Another report from BBC News

FESPACO at Wikipedia

Refugee Radio Action Force

Thanks to everybody who attended the first Refugee Radio Action Force meeting on Saturday at Community Base (think "steering committee with better biscuits"). It was a great meeting with lots of action coming out of it. We're now looking forward to Refugee Week 2009 and will be posting updates here about our plans for the launch party.

Stop Deportation : People 'Snatched'

Assia Souhalia her husband Athmane nationals of Algeria and their UK born daughter Nouha are residents of Brighton. They were 'Snatched' from their home yesterday morning and are currently detained in Yarl's Wood IRC. They are due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Tuesday 17th February.

See this page for details of the campaign to ask the Home Office to allow the family the time to make the appeal and not be deported next Tuesday

Exhibition at Saatchi Gallery London - Unveiled

Some of the art might be controversial at this exhibition of contemporary art from the Middle East being held in London. The exhibition is on until 9 May 2009.

Only 8 of the 19 artists whose work is on show still live in the Middle East.

Exhibition website here

Article from The Independent newspaper here

Zimbabwean Asylum Seekers

Any failed asylum seekers from Zimbabwe (or anybody working with this group) should be informed of the recent case of RN. The following is given freely for information purposes without claims to reliability and should not be treated as qualified advice. Always check with a solicitor.

It was normally the case that Zimbabweans fleeing persecution from Mugabe would have to prove they were members of the MDC or similar. But in November 2008, a teacher from Zimbabwe known as "RN" convinced the UK asylum tribunal that any Zimbabweans unable to demonstrate loyalty to the ruling ZANU-PF could be at risk of persecution if returned home.

This may mean that failed asylum seekers or others without status from Zimbabwe living in the UK could now make fresh claims for asylum. This will affect those living on hard case support, social services support and those who are completely destitute.

People should contact their immigration solicitors if they have one or try to seek new representation to see how RN might affect them. Please note that immigration is a lively area of law and new rulings are coming into place all the time that may affect this decision. As ever, I would warn people of rogue solicitors, those who ask you to pay them money or guarantee you success. The Home Office are notoriously slow to respond to fresh claims for asylum and this will not solve your problems overnight but it is a real step forwards for some.

A Journey to Citizenship - Test

Try the test for for people applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain in Britain or for those wanting British Citizenship.

Click here.

Event: A Taste of Uganda

Just using this blog to pass on information about an event on Saturday 24 September 2009 in Brighton :

BBC Radio 4 Programmes : The Flight from Tehran

Next week BBC Radio 4 broadcasts a series of programmes about people who left Iran and came to Britain.

The Flight from Tehran: British-Iranians 30 Years On

Programme website here.

Starts 12 January, Broadcast at 1545 - check website to see about listen again.

From the Refugee Council : Report says UK border controls may be putting refugees in danger

From the Refugee Council :
Their research shows UK border controls in countries outside Britain are failing to protect refugees who may be fleeing persecution in their home countries.

Full text here.

Refugee Council information in a range of languages : click here

This Blog : On Air

Great to hear the Algerian interview and music including Khaled on Refugee Radio. Thanks also for mentioning this blog ! Look forward to the Zimbabwe related post !

Refugee Radio is broadcast on Radio Reverb from 10am on Mondays. Make sure you check out the website and Refugee Radio's own type of listen again facility.

From the Argus

Happy New Year !

Here are links to two stories covered by the Argus in Brighton :

Sisya says Thank You

Victory for Love as Wife wins passport