Britons sympathetic to refugees

Two thirds of Britons are sympathetic to refugees coming to the country, according to a survey.

The poll for the Refugee Council found that 74% of women and 61% of men were sympathetic to those fleeing persecution to seek protection in the UK. It also found that most people "wildly overestimated" the numbers of refugees who were accepted to stay in the country.

The survey of more than 2,000 people by Opinium Research found that 44% of respondents believed 100,000 or more refugees were accepted in 2009. A further 33% thought the number was around 25,000. In fact, the true figure of those granted refugee status was 4,175.

The research also revealed significant misunderstanding around what a refugee is. Many respondents confused refugees with economic migrants from Poland and Eastern Europe.

The vast majority of Britons (84%) were "proud to be British" while 82% believed that protecting the most vulnerable was a core British value.

2011 marks the 60th anniversary of UN Convention for Refugees, which British lawyers played a key role in drafting. Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, said: "British soldiers gave up their lives in World War II fighting to build a better world and protect others from persecution.

"It is a legacy that all British people should be proud of, and should serve to remind us that Britain still has an important role to play in offering safety to those forced to flee their homes to escape violence, torture and war in countries around the world today.

"How encouraging that, 60 years after the UN Convention for Refugees was created so many people remain sympathetic to refugees coming here, and that the majority believe protecting the most vulnerable is an intrinsic part of being British."

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2011, All Rights Reserved.

Guardian

Funding blow for Stoke-on-Trent community project

A community project aimed at uniting people from different backgrounds across Stoke-on-Trent could be axed because of a lack of funding.

The One World Project educates young people against the prejudices associated with asylum seekers and refugees. It was set up by Stoke-on-Trent’s Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) following racist incidents in schools. But the Migration Impact Fund which covers its costs has now been scrapped, leaving the future of the initiative in doubt.

Charlotte Laws, Children’s Cohesion Worker at Stoke-on-Trent Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB), said: “With the BNP on our local councils and even boards of school governors and the EDL gaining momentum throughout the area, the loss of this project can only lead to a return to a culture of fear of and antagonism towards these groups of people.”

Chou-Chou, a refugee from Africa, visited Silverdale Community Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme this month and shared his story with the children.

Deputy headteacher of Silverdale Community Primary School, Mrs Blaney told Staffslive: “It was really useful because it enabled our children to meet someone who had suffered from war and fled their country to escape persecution. After hearing his story the children can form their own opinions instead of listening to the news or reading newspapers.”

The One World Project was given an Award for Bridging Cultures (ABC) from the Institute of Community Cohesion.

Ms Laws said: “We create a way in which young people can encounter asylum seekers and refugees and hear their experiences in the hope that the stereotype associated with them can be changed. Telling others their stories is more valued than what people read or hear in the media.”

Now it’s in jeopardy after the Conservatives scrapped the Migration Impact Fund which provided the scheme’s funding. They are set to visit five more local schools by the end of the month thanks to temporary funding from Newcastle Partnership.

Ms Laws is hoping to restart the project at the beginning of next year as a standalone not for profit venture.

Staffs Live

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

Colour me suspicious

[Yesterday] morning, a story made my Crackers sense tingle. Not to tell me that a tabloid story was rubbish, but to tell me that something behind a few tabloid stories was very fishy indeed. there are wavy lines coming out of my head right now.

'Single mother of eight living in a £2.6m mansion - so much for Labour's housing benefit crackdown' is currently the top story on the Mail Online website. It's funny that Labour's housing benefit crackdown gets a mention in the headline, because the council responsible is Kensington and Chelsea, the toriest of tory councils.

The four-storey villa in Notting Hill, West London, which costs taxpayers £7,600 a month, has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a double living room, study and roof terrace.

says the article. And here's why the family in question has been housed there:

Miss Walker was given the house last September on a three-year lease because a rule introduced in April 2008 forces local authorities to place tenants in private properties if suitable council homes are unavailable.

Hey, I know this is Kensington and Chelsea, but do you think there might be cheaper properties in the borough. Like around Ladbroke Grove, or the World's End Estate or down towards Olympia and the West Ken Estate? Surely there are ex-council places up for grabs.

So, in the run up to an election year, a tory council just happens to reveal an extreme example of something that might make 'Labour's housing benefit crackdown' look stupid. With a single mother as the beneficiary. A dark-skinned single mother. A dark-skinned Muslim single mother. Ticks too many 'Daily Mail hatred' boxes to be an accident, right?

How about 'Taxpayers pay £1,600-a-week for family of ex-asylum seekers to live in luxury five-storey home'. Hey, this one ticks a lot of boxes too. Ex-asylum seekers (who ought to be referred to as 'refugees' by the Code of Practice that the Mail's Editor is in charge of) no less. Another set of tabloid boogeymen put in a really expensive house, this time in Westminster - the council involved in the infamous gerrymandering scandal of the 80s. We know there are lots of ex-council properties in Westminister, because the council sold off as many as they could to potential tory voters.

This time, the paper makes sure we're told:

'It's important to note that the amount of housing benefit payable for tenants is determined by government policy and not local councils. This rate is calculated and updated on a yearly basis according to the value of the local rental market. We have absolutely no discretion in this area.

'Property rents in Westminster are among the highest in the country so it is perhaps unsurprising that a family claiming housing benefit for a property of this size would need to submit a claim for this amount.

'We would, however, like to see the entire housing benefit system changed to enable councils to have more control'.

All Labour's fault, you see.

This story mentions another from last year for a win triple - 'Inquiry ordered over Afghan family living in £1.2 million 'council house''. Ooh, brown asylum seekers given ridiculously expensive housing in a tory council. Where have I heard that before?

Okay, I heard it here first since this is the oldest story, but this one caused a furore in which people ended up sacked. It took Smellyface to make the connections for us this time.

And those aren't the only differences between the first story and the two new ones. Check out the picture in the earliest story, with Ms Saiedi peeking out from behind her front door, not even opening it far enough for even the sneakiest of peeks to the inside of the house. Now look at the pictures in the two newest articles, as the residents allow an 'MTV Cribs' style showcase for the Mail.

Why, it's almost as if someone spotted the story from last year and said, "Hey - that's a jolly good way of attacking Labour," and deliberately contrived a couple more cases of scary tabloid boogeymen being given ridiculously expensive new accommodation. And then thought to remind us of the original with 'Afghan family STILL in seven-bed £1.2m house taxpayer has been funding for a year', with the nationality of the family in the headline. You know, in case we forgot.

What's the betting nobody gets sacked or disciplined this time round? Not because these two were deliberate in any way, of course, but because it's Labour's fault. I'm sure Westminster Council would never become involved in any trickery with their housing system to cynically troll for tory votes. Again.

I'm absolutely certain nobody looked at the way the loophole that allowed the original incident to occur was closed and thought, 'Ah, capped at a five-bedroom limit, eh? Let's see what we can do with that!'

That would be dishonest.

Five Chinese Crackers

BNP leader extends sick pledge to capsize refugee boats

Griffin talking crap again - and looking even more pig-like than usual

When I came face to face with BNP leader Nick Griffin on his first day at the European Parliament in Strasbourg I thought he might find urgent business elsewhere in the building.

After all, this was a rare occasion when he didn't have burly minders at his side to intimidate interviewers who dare ask awkward questions. And he would have been only too well aware of the Mirror's anti-BNP Hope not Hate campaign in the run-up to the European elections. But, in fairness to Griffin, he was only too happy to air his views on, for example, global warming ("a man-made myth").

I gave him an opportunity to back down on his comment that Europe should sink boats transporting illegal immigrants from the coast of North Africa.

"Do you regret making that statement?" I asked.

True to form Griffin replied that he only had one regret: that he did not extend his murderous scheme to vessels transporting refugees to those in the Adriatic and Atlantic. It was exactly the kind of nakedly racist response that makes it impossible to take seriously the BNP's claims to being proper politicial contenders.

I would bet that Griffin would not have considered Save The Children's recent report into the condition of youngsters trying to get from Libya into Italy. Had he done so he would notice that most of the children on the barely seaworthy boats being turned back from Europe have fled war in countries like Somalia and Eritrea.

As Fosca Nomis, spokesperson for Save the Children, said: "Many of the children on the boats from Libya had been forced to travel thousands of miles, often alone, to escape conflict and poverty in countries such as Somalia, Eritrea and Nigeria. In ten months we received over 2,000 children entitled to receive protection in Italy. They were often exhausted, hungry, severely dehydrated and terrified after the journey. Many children have recounted harrowing stories, of rape and of having to see dead family members thrown out of the boat.

"Many of the child migrants had been locked up in adult detention centres before boarding the boats for Italy, and we are afraid they may be returned there when they arrive in Libya. Conditions are notoriously bad. Human rights organisations have persistently reported allegations of torture and ill-treatment at the centres in a country which has not signed the Geneva Refugee Convention."

This is the kind of inconvenient truth that gets in the way of Griffin's deliberately controversial - but totally hollow - soundbites.

Mirror

BNP links to immigration service staff

After nearly 300 allegations of brutality and racist abuse, official inquiry is launched

An official investigation has been launched after two immigration service staff working with asylum-seekers were found to have links to the British National Party, The Independent has learnt.

One guard employed to look after asylum-seekers at a detention centre has been forced to resign after his name was found on a membership list of the BNP. Another man has been suspended while his employer investigates alleged links to the same far-right organisation.

Both cases raise serious concerns about racism within the immigration system, where membership of extreme political groups has long been suspected. Over the past two years The Independent has helped reveal nearly 300 allegations of brutality, including 38 claims of racism, made by asylum-seekers about private security and immigration staff. Some of the allegations included abusive and racist language, in which refugees fleeing persecution were referred to as "monkeys" or told to "go back to their own countries".

The only two services where membership of the BNP can be grounds for dismissal are the police force and the Prison Service.

In the case of the immigration service, everyone working in immigration removal centres or in the guarding or removal of asylum-seekers must sign a declaration making clear that they are not members of the BNP, Combat 18 or the National Front. Those who are found to belong to any group that promotes racism will lose their accreditation to work in the immigration system.

Last night, the UK Border Agency said it "will not tolerate racist behaviour by individuals working in immigration removal centres. All allegations are investigated and the UKBA can revoke an individual's accreditation to work for the agency or have any contact with detainees."

It is understood that a security guard resigned after a list of BNP members was leaked to the media last year. In the case of the suspended guard, the investigation is being conducted by the private contractor. During his suspension, the man will not be able to work with refugees or enter any immigration building.

BNP policy on immigration stipulates: "We will also clamp down on the flood of 'asylum-seekers', all of whom are either bogus or can find refuge much nearer their home countries."

Last month the Home Office received another report, this time from its own complaints watchdog, that raised serious concerns about the treatment of complaints of racism made by asylum-seekers, many of which had been miscategorised as "poor service" complaints. The report, written by the Home Office's Complaints Audit Committee (CAC), and seen by The Independent, said senior officials had "joined us in voicing concern that serious complaints such as allegations of assault aggravated by racism have been handled as service delivery complaints and as a consequence have not been properly managed".

The Labour MP Diane Abbott said last night: "If it is true that staff employed to work with asylum-seekers and immigrants are members of the BNP then it is yet another sign that the Home Office are allowing for the mistreatment of immigrants in this country. For years, campaign groups and my colleagues and I have been pointing out that hiring private contractors to work as immigration guards is a bad idea. It seems we will now have more proof of this. People who come to this country deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect that is afforded to citizens."

A spokesperson for Medical Justice, which helped compile a dossier of nearly 300 complaints of alleged abuse, said: "We hear detainees complain about racism on an almost daily basis and it's virtually unheard of for a complaint to be upheld. The sheer volume of detainees complaining suggests among certain immigration guards there seems to be a canteen culture of racism which can flourish if left unchecked. Detainees feel dehumanised."

In its report, the CAC further warned: "Complaints of racism have caused us concern, as failures to report and investigate them fully may leave the UK Border Agency liable to prosecution under the Race Relations Act and to other anti-discrimination legislation... We have learnt of special problems in the detention estate, where complaints forms have a tick-box marked 'racism' and where officials believe that racism has been widely used as an inappropriate add-on to service delivery complaints, such as a detainee claiming that he had been served cold food because of his ethnic origin.

"We have reservations about the accuracy of this view in light of Sir William MacPherson's definition of a racist incident as 'any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person'. As we do not routinely audit service delivery complaints, we cannot calculate the extent of alleged misuse of the term 'racist'."

The CAC said the Home Office should have supplied all misconduct complaints alleging racism. "We received only four complaints of racism from Colnbrook [detention centre, near Heathrow Airport] in 2007. This would appear to be a low number of potential complaints according to evidence collected by the HMIP [prison inspectorate] team, whose survey yielded the information that 18 per cent of detainees said they had been victimised by staff on the basis of their nationality and 15 per cent said they had been victimised on the basis of their ethnic or cultural origin."

Independent

Football tournament to bring refugees and local players together

Twenty football teams featuring players from all over the world will take part in a one-day tournament to mark National Refugee Week in Manchester.

Teams including a mixture of refugees, asylum seekers and British-born players will go head to head in the six-a-side Unity Cup held at Salford Sports Village on Saturday (June 16th). The tournament has been organised by Refugee Action, Salford City Council, Kick it Out, Manchester FA and Manchester City Council.

Football and fun

Gerard Devaney, community development worker at Refugee Action, said: "This event will see players of all abilities and from many different backgrounds coming together for a day of football and family fun.

"Refugee Action has been involved in Refugee Week football tournaments in Manchester for the past seven years and are delighted that this year it is being staged in Salford. This tournament and sport as a whole can help refugees and asylum seekers to integrate into their community and feel a real sense of achievement."

Teams

The countries represented in the Unity Cup include Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Cameroon and the Yemen. There are also mixed teams of refugees and British-born players.

There will be no lack of entertainment for spectators and youngsters, as there will also be a free buffet and play workshops for children organised by Salford Grumpy.

The Unity Cup will take place at the Salford Sports Village on Littleton Road, Kersal from 11am until 5pm. Entrance is free and all are welcome.

Kick it out

Forced out by race-hate mob

Family fled war-torn Angola for sanctuary the UK... but they were driven out in four days by this.

A family fled war-torn Angola only to face terror at the hands of a "seething" race-hate mob in Britain.

Yesterday 11 thugs were locked up for their part in the terrifying attack - aimed at driving their black neighbours out of an estate just four days after they moved in. The racists, some armed with baseball bats and crowbars, targeted Alvaro Vintem, his wife Maura Adriano and their three children as they enjoyed a barbecue with family and friends to celebrate a cousin's 10th birthday.

Alvaro, 30, said after the mob was sentenced: "I came to England for help and then this happened. At the time I remember thinking, 'Oh my God what have I come to?'"

The thugs stockpiled weapons in the garden of a house nearby, then threw missiles including bottles, sticks, cans and bricks at the family cowering in their front garden. One little girl begged: "Please don't let them kill me."

The racists attacked their victims' cars, causing damage running into thousands of pounds. They screamed "Get home you bunch of f***ing n*****s" and "Back off you black b******s, you don't belong here."

One witness claimed the jeering mob then got hold of the barbecue and threw it at the windows of the home in an attempt to set fire to it after the women and children had taken shelter inside. The men at the birthday party kept the thugs out of the house. The court was silent as video footage taken by a guest revealed faces twisted with rage. Seven racists have still not been traced.

Judge Peter Hunt said at Leeds crown court: "What's depressingly striking is the seething aggression demonstrated by so many."

Prosecutor John Topham told the court: "The Angolan family were terrified... children and women were terrified and crying. Some of the white residents on the estate were hostile to the presence of a black family. There were discussions in a cafe in the locality with the idea of forcing the family to move."

The family's arrival on the Seacroft estate in Leeds was marked by a stone through a window. Later, their door was broken down, windows smashed and their TV stolen. Then followed the 30-minute riot which erupted after their guests - including eight children - had arrived.

Alvaro, who came to the UK in 2000 and has now moved to another part of Leeds, said the mob "got what they deserved" after the judge locked them up. The father of three said when his girls now see a group they think they're going to be attacked.

The 11 pleaded guilty to violent disorder yet denied racist intent, but the judge declared race hate was the only motivation. David Holdsworth, 34, described as showing "extreme violence", was jailed for three years and seven months. Leanne Montgomery, 19, who "lost control" battering a car, was handed three years in a young offenders institution. Andrew Boylan, 25 and Liam Bellwood, 20, were jailed for three and a half years.

Other terms were Wayne Purchase, 31 - two and a half years' jail; Darren Kaye, 19 - 21 months in a young offenders institution; Jonathan Wilson, 19 - two and a half years in a young offenders institution; Patrick Burns, 34 - two and a half years; Wayne Lorimer, 21 - two and a half years; Glynn Milburn, 33 - 12 months; and Duane Watts, 24 - two-and-a half years.

HELL IN ANGOLA

• More than 1.5 million people died and 4 million were displaced in the 27-year civil war.
• It has the worst infant mortality rate in the world - 125 in every 1,000 die before their first birthday.
• More than 33 per cent of children under five suffer malnutrition.
• Life expectancy is 45 for men, 48 for women.
• Only 32 per cent have clean water and 42 per cent are illiterate.

Sunday Mirror

Refugees fear racist attacks on the streets

A young refugee has claimed racist abuse was hurled at him as he was beaten up on Swansea's High Street.Al Haji Kamara alleges he was punched and kicked to the ground in the violent attack.

The incident took place in the middle of the afternoon when the street was filled with shoppers. But no-one came to help.

"I was walking down the street on my way to play football when a group of youths blocked my way and started punching me," said the 21-year-old. "They were shouting: 'What are you doing here? Go home. We don't want you'. They kicked me to the ground but I managed to get up and run away and call the police."

Mr Kamara came to Wales aged 17 after fleeing the brutal civil war in the African country of Liberia. "All my family were killed and I don't have anywhere else to go," he said.

Refugee groups have condemned what happened. They claim it is one of a growing number of incidents in Swansea.

"Al Haji is here perfectly legally. He has been granted exceptional leave to stay by the Home Office," said Tom Cheeseman, of Swansea Bay Asylum Seekers Support Group. "He has settled into the local community very well and is a member of our committee, as well as being the organiser of the Swansea World Stars football team."

Another refugee family say they are being forced to move home after suffering months of racist abuse and attacks. Adel and Latefa Guemar and their three children settled happily in Penlan when they were granted the right to stay in 2004 after fleeing Algeria. But in recent months they claim they have been targeted by young thugs who shout abuse and throw missiles at their home.

"There is another family living not 400 metres away from here who have had a lot of racist attacks. It has got so bad that the children dare not go out of the house on their own," said Mr Guemar.

Asylum support workers are now calling for more understanding and respect for people who may have suffered terrible trauma in their home countries.

"The Home Office is only sending those asylum seekers to Swansea who have a very good case. Anyone else is going straight into detention, so you can be sure that the people who come here have a very good reason for leaving their own countries," said Keith Ross, of the campaign group Asylum Justice. "I must stress that most people in Swansea have been very welcoming, but we are hearing about ongoing problems in Penlan, Mayhill and Pentrechwyth," he added.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the alleged attack on Mr Kamara.

This is South Wales

Stop bigots, voters urged

Voters have been urged by religious leaders to use the ballot box to help tackle racism.

Representatives from the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Jewish communities signed a declaration asking Greater Manchester people to reject all political parties that advocate racism in May's local elections.

The document was signed at Trinity United Church in Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, which is used as drop-in centre for refugees and asylum seekers.

Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch said: "Manchester's faith community leaders agree strongly on this subject. It is a very important moment and a strict warning against racism."

The statement reads: "We stand for a society of mutual respect and care where the hearts of all are heard and met through good neighbourliness at every level and in every circumstance. In particular, we regret that the British National Party now has 49 seats on local authorities in this country. Those who advocate racist policies cannot do so in the name of any of our faith communities."

Statement

The community leaders were inspired by the similarities of their different faiths when they devised the statement.

Dr Muhammad Junejo, Muslim representative for Greater Manchester, said: "We meet fairly regularly to discuss the important issues affecting our communities. One thing our religions all have in common is the commandment to love your neighbour. Racism is strongly at odds with this idea and we need to stand against it."

The statement was signed by Bishop McCulloch, representing the Christian community, Louis Rapaport, president of the Jewish Representative Council in Greater Manchester, Dr Junejo, for the Muslims, and Mr A. K. Sinha, of the Hindu community.

Mr Rapaport said: "This statement is immensely important, particularly to the Jewish community. Members of extremist parties have changed from being unruly mob-members. They are making themselves look respectable by wearing suits. It is reminiscent of Germany in the 1930s and we need to stop them."

The statement has already been signed by Dr Ranjit Singh Sumra from Manchester's Sikh community.

Manchester Evening News

Wales: Party leaders pledge to ‘keep a welcome’ for refugees and asylum seekers

Churches have welcomed show of unity from the four political parties in Wales to pledge to improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers.

All four party leaders have launched a manifesto for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Wales ahead of the Assembly elections in May. Called “We’ll keep a welcome’, the manifesto includes five key pledges that will improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers, whoever eventually succeeds at the elections.

The five pledges are:

1 Welcoming people seeking safety from persecution by ensuring that candidates won’t campaign negatively on refugee and asylum issues.

2 Empowering refugees to rebuild their lives by ensuring that young refugees and asylum seekers have equal access to further education, and that funding for English classes continues.

3 Providing fair and equal access to services by providing access to healthcare for asylum seekers, whatever the status of their claim.

4 Protecting children and young people by developing a specialist advocacy service to look after their needs.

5 Developing a strong evidence base to better inform service provision in Wales and help communities work together.

Niall Cooper, Church Action on Poverty said: “The people of Wales have a proud history of giving refuge to people fleeing persecution and poverty. Migrants who have arrived as refugees have been amongst those who have made the most impact on society and the economy. Our sense [of] social justice means we provide a safety net for all on these islands, no matter who they are. We look forward to all the candidates and parties supporting the Manifesto in the Election Campaign and the elected candidates, in office.”

Rev Aled Eirug, Chief Executive of Cytûn – Churches Together in Wales and Chair of the Welsh Refugee Council said: “I am so grateful that the party leaders in Wales have been able to set aside party politics to come together and make a real difference to people’s lives.

“All the organisations who work with refugees and asylum seekers in Wales are pleased that the politicians have shown a determination to do something about the conditions faced by vulnerable people when they come to Wales – people who make such a positive contribution to our communities.”

The next stage in the campaign will see all candidates in the Assembly Elections being asked to commit their support and carry a pledge card. More information, and a list of candidates supporting the campaign can be found at www.keepawelcome.co.uk

Inspire

Partners

The following organisations have worked together to prepare the Manifesto:

Amnesty International
Asylum Justice
Cardiff Asylum Seeker Support Group
Children in Wales
Church Action on Poverty
Commission for Race Equality
Cytûn – Churches Together in Wales
Displaced People in Action
Newport and District Refugee Support Group
Oxfam
Refugee Voice Wales
Save the Children
Swansea Bay Asylum Seeker Support Group
Welsh Refugee Council

Source