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News review

Our news review rounds up media coverage of issues relating to refugees and asylum for anyone who wants to keep up to date with the latest developments. It also includes summaries of our latest work.

  • News review - 14-27 August 2010 This fortnight, the media reported on further cuts to legal aid for asylum seekers, and new statistics showed that while numbers of asylum applications have dropped, decisions being overturned at appeal are still high.
  • News review - 31 July-13 August Another busy fortnight for asylum stories, as the UKBA launches pilots as an alternative to child detention, refugee teachers talk about the barriers they face in getting jobs, and a young Refugee Council client speaks out about the government's proposals to return young people to Afghanistan.
  • News review - 19-30 July 2010 It's been a busy fortnight for asylum stories in the press, with the Supreme Court allowing 'fresh claim' asylum seekers to work, a ruling that fast-track deportations are unlawful, and a report from the Inspector of Prisons condemning dawn raids, all causing a stir.
  • News review - 5-19 July 2010 Asylum stories caused fierce debate in the media this fortnight, after the Supreme Court allowed two gay asylum seekers to stay in the UK, a detention centre was deemed unsafe for asylum seekers, and a refugee was given a £2m council house in a smart area of London.
  • News review - 21 June - 4 July Media stories on asylum in the past fortnight include the continued outcry after the closure of Refugee and Migrant Justice, the government's announcement of an immigration cap, and why asylum seeking children are being deported to other EU countries.
  • News review - 5-20 June: Refugee Week special! With Refugee Week, it’s been a busy fortnight with many celebratory and inspiring refugee stories in the media. However, the announcement of a ‘reintegration centre’ for young asylum seekers in Kabul, the return of asylum seekers to Iraq, and the closure of Refugee and Migrant Justice were stories that have given us great cause for concern.
  • News review: 22 May-4 June This fortnight, refugee organisations have been up in arms over the possible closure of a legal advice charity, new Home Office figures showed a further drop in asylum applications, and detention centres were back in the news, following the government’s announcement to end child detention.
  • News review - 8-21 May 2010 Amongst the media furore over the formation of the coalition government, the news this fortnight has been packed with announcements from the new government concerning the detention of children, asylum applications, and gay asylum seekers.
  • News review: 24 April - 7 May 2010 - Election special! In the last couple of weeks, immigration was widely debated in the election campaign – from ‘bigot-gate’, to an amnesty for illegal immigrants, to caps on numbers coming here. Although the debate focused mainly on economic migration, asylum seekers and refugees were also brought into the argument, so we kept a close eye on politicians and media stories to ensure asylum seekers and refugees were accurately represented.
  • News review - 10-23 April
  • News review - 26 March-9 April
  • News review: 13-26 February 2010
  • News review: 1-12 February
  • News review - 16-31 January
  • News review - 19 Dec 09 - 18 Jan 2010
  • News review, 5-18 December
  • News Review, 9 - 19 November
  • News review, 27 October - 9 November
  • News review, 10 – 26 October An attempt by the British government to remove asylum seekers to southern Iraq met with widespread criticism and non-cooperation by the Iraqi authorities, the extent to which detention damages children’s health was revealed in a study of detainees at Yarl’s Wood and the UN refugee agency criticised EU asylum policy.
  • News review, 26 September – 9 October Refugee organisations and charities hit out at cuts to support for asylum seekers, scientists criticised UK Border Agency plans for DNA testing of asylum seekers and the debate surrounding refugees in Calais continued to play out in the press.
  • News review, 12 - 25 September Much of the media was dominated by the French government closing the camps in Calais that were a temporary home for people hoping to find their way to the UK, with the Refugee Council interviewed widely for both TV and radio and quoted across both the national and regional press.
  • News review, 29 August – 11 September Official figures revealed hundreds of children are currently being held in detention, the European Commission revealed plans to resettle more refugees within the EU and a rise in homelessness amongst asylum seekers in the UK was reported by charities.
  • News review, 15 - 28 August The latest quarterly statistics were released, a pilot scheme to help destitute asylum seekers faster was criticised by campaigners and Barcelona’s football team showed their support for refugees on their shirts in a friendly with Manchester City.
  • News review, 1 - 14 August The Chief Inspector of Prisons highlighted the intimidating behaviour of some officials when removing people from the UK, the Home Office revealed plans for earned citizenship and members of an Iranian band began the process of seeking asylum in Britain.
  • News review, 18 - 31 July The Government announced it would be cutting financial support for single asylum seekers while recommending access to healthcare should be extended.
  • News review, 4 -17 July A report showed the many skills wasted by not allowing asylum seekers to work, the third annual study of Leeds asylum seekers showed that one third had been destitute for over a year, and a new play in London set in a shipping container explored the experience of trafficked people.
  • News Review, 20 June - 3 July The UNHCR opened a full-time office in Calais to offer information and support to those living rough in the area, a Children’s Society report called for lessons to be learned from a failed 2007 scheme to provide refused asylum seeker families with an alternative to detention and the London City for Sanctuary group welcomed refugees by displaying banners across the city.
  • News review, 6 - 19 June Refugee Week took place this fortnight, with hundreds of events across the country. This week’s News Review attempts to give a sense of how events and issues arising from Refugee Week were covered in the local and national press, as well as a round up of other related media coverage.
  • News review, 23 May - 5 June The press covered the issue of the Refugee Council’s children panel losing government funding, charities and NGOs raised concerns over evidence that refused Congolese asylum seekers faced violence on their return to the DRC and a young refugee won a nationwide poetry competition.
  • News review, 2 - 22 May A survey published by the Asylum Support Partnership revealed the shocking extent of destitution amongst refused asylum seekers, Strangers into Citizens hosted a rally in London, a pilot scheme to help refused families return home began and Ethiopian refugees in North West England launched a Fairtrade coffee company.
  • News review, 15 April - 1 May A report by the Children’s Commissioner for England called for an end to the detention of children while the treatment of immigration detainees at Heathrow Airport also came under fire. Photographs taken by young refugees went on display at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
  • News review, 31 March - 14 April An increase in the number of children being trafficked to the UK was reported, a new detention centre based in Oxfordshire was granted planning permission, one newspaper looked into the lack of educational facilities for detained children and it was announced that asylum and immigration cases will be heard regionally as well as in London.
  • News review, 17 - 30 March The Court of Appeal ruled on refused asylum seekers’ access to healthcare, there were reports that a refused asylum seeker had been killed after being returned to Sudan and the debate over refugees in Calais continued in the press.
  • News review, 3 - 16 March How children are treated within the asylum system came under the spotlight as two reports into detention and treatment of child refugees were published and a case to decide the age of a young refugee began in the High Court.
  • News review, 18 February - 2 March The latest asylum statistics were published, Guantanamo detainee Binyam Mohammed returned to the UK, the EC proposed a new EU wide asylum agency and the Home Secretary was ordered by the High Court to return a deported refugee to the UK.
  • News review, 3 - 17 February The Church of England’s governing body called for asylum seekers to be allowed to work, a Refugee Council report revealed shocking levels of sexual violence among refugee women, a family were awarded damages for the trauma suffered whilst in detention and a young refugee footballer gained his first England cap.
  • News review, 20 Jan – 2 Feb A National Audit Office report highlighted flaws in the New Asylum Model and research by the London Detainee Support Group showed many people are left in long term detention with no indication of what is happening with their case. Elsewhere, Zimbabwean refugee Shepherd Yuda won a prestigious Broadcast Award for his film The Stolen Ballots.
  • News review, 6 - 19 January Work issues were in the news again with a Refugee Council volunteer being interviewed by the BBC and a lively protest outside Downing Street. Elsewhere, the UK Border Agency introduced a new code of practice with the intent of keeping children in the immigration system safe, Phil Woolas called for a review of the 1951 Geneva convention and a undercover investigation revealed how illegal workers were being exploited at one clothing factory.
  • News review, 17 December - 5 January A Refugee Council report revealed how UK border controls in other countries risk sending refugees back to danger, church leaders condemned UK asylum policies in their Christmas messages, a Refugee Council volunteer won an award for her campaigning and a new film will be based on the true story of two asylum campaigners.
  • News review, 3 - 16 December Asylum and refugees made the headlines as The Chief Inspector of Prisons reported on failings at Oakington detention centre, the High Court ruled that the Home Office should review its blanket policy of not allowing asylum seekers to work, the Home Office decided not to appeal an important country guidance case for Zimbabwe and a campaign for free English lessons for asylum seekers was launched.
  • News review, 18 November - 2 December The Refugee Council and others responded to remarks from the Immigration Minister, Phil Woolas MP that asylum charities and lawyers “play the system”. Proposals to block the right to judicial review in some asylum cases also came under the spotlight and a new book on British reactions to refugees from 1915 to the present was published.
  • News review, 5 - 17 November The draft Immigration and Citizenship Bill was under scrutiny from the Home Affairs select committee, who were warned by the BMA and housing charities that the proposals could have dire effects on health and homelessness in the UK. The commitee also heard evidence from the Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, Donna Covey.
  • News review, 14 October - 4 November Violence in the DRC caused thousands to flee their homes while immigration minister Phil Woolas had an eventful start to his new role. Elsewhere, a pilot alternative scheme to detention of families was announced in Scotland, the Let Them Work campaign featured on the BBC’s Politics Show and a new book of photographs by young refugees was published.
  • News review, 1-13 October A Refugee Council report revealed voucher support leaves many hungry and desperate, a cabinet reshuffle saw Phil Woolas become immigration minister and the Home Secretary announced an independent inquiry into claims of abuse of people seeking asylum by British guards.
  • News review, 16 - 30 September The news that the UK would remove its immigration opt out on the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child showed a positive step in the way refugee children are treated in Britain - in the same fortnight the UK was criticised for its detention of children. Elsewhere, asylum seekers’ right to work continued to be on the party conference agenda, two protesters set up camp outside Parliament, and a London school got involved with a fundraising scheme with a difference…
  • News review, 2-15 September An eventful fortnight as 21 unions signed up to the TUC and Refugee Council campaign to let asylum seekers work, the New Statesman launched a campaign to end detention for children and a new anti-poverty campaign, Get Fair, released a survey highlighting poverty as a political issue in the UK.
  • News review, 19 August - 1 September Detention again made the headlines, with criticisms of two detention centres by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, a legal challenge in the high court to the imprisonment of a child who has been held for over six weeks and a rise in self-harming at detention centres all in the news. In other news, the latest asylum statistics were published, the Home Office proposed removing the right of asylum seekers to appeal to judicial review, and a film about UK refugees won an award from a US festival.
  • News review, 6 - 18 August Detainees at Campsfield detention centre continued their hunger strike in protest at conditions and forced deportation to Iraq. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg called for asylum seekers to be allowed to work and many NHS staff reported confusion over the legal right of asylum seekers to healthcare. Refugee successes were also in the news as Lopez Lomong was chosen to carry the US flag at the Olympic opening ceremony and a teenage Afghan refugee won a place at Oxford University.
  • News review, 22 July - 5 August In the same fortnight that Australia revoked automatic detention for all asylum seekers, the Sunday Herald reported on overcrowding in Scotland’s Dungavel removal centre and European youth organisations called on the EU to end the detention of children. Destitution was again in the media, with a new survey showing that the numbers of refugees living in destitution in Leeds has more than doubled in the last 18 months.
  • News review, 24 June - 21 July This edition of the news review concentrates on the recent protests against the Government's stance on removing Zimbabwean asylum seekers. We cover the recent IAC reports and a report on abuse by private security companies. We also look at the support for gay asylum seekers from politicians and actors following comments by the Home Secretary and some new theatre about detention in London.
  • News review, 10 - 23 June It was an eventful two weeks with Refugee Week events taking place across the country in celebration of the contribution of refugees to the UK. The National newspapers took the opportunity to highlight key issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers while local newspapers concentrated on significant local events. We also look at other stories this week that highlight the affects of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan on refugee numbers and movements.
  • News review, 27 May - 9 June A difficult week began with the murder of an Eritrean schoolgirl in a knife attack in London. Further sad news came with the reporting of 2 African stowaways found dead in a ship’s hold and Afghan children in Greece went on hunger strike at conditions in their holding centre, as Nicolas Sarkozy proposed an EU immigration crackdown. On a more positive note, City of Sanctuary had its first National Conference and Paddington Bear's refugee status was highlighted in a new book by his creator.
  • News Review, 13 - 26 May Important developments this week included the publication of the latest asylum statistics, the Independent Asylum Commission’s first report and plans to expand immigration detention centres. Health was also in the news, with free healthcare for refused asylum seekers announced in Wales, a report rejecting claims of ‘health tourism’ and the deportation of a child with sickle cell anaemia. Finally, Mehdi Kazemi, the gay Iranian teenager facing deportation and execution was granted asylum.
  • News Review, 29 April - 12 May This week a columnist from the Financial Times and a report from the TUC endorsed the right to work for asylum seekers, the UKBA code of practice for children came under scrutiny and the Refugee Council published a report on schools' role in supporting refugee children. We also report on how donkey charities are the winners in the fundraising game and a new theatre production ‘They Get Free Mobiles Don’t They?’
  • News review, 15 - 28 April This week the Refugee Council and the TUC launched a campaign calling for the right of asylum seekers to work. Deportation was in the news as the government won a case to return asylum seekers to all parts of Iraq and Nigerians called for a boycott of British Airways. Figures on self-harm at detention centres were released, calls were made for free HIV treatment for refused asylum seekers and a demonstration was held in memory of a woman deported to Ghana whilst undergoing cancer treatment.
  • News review, 1 - 14 April Iraqi asylum seekers were in the news this week as 50 people were deported and three families of former British forces’ employees were airlifted to the UK. A House of Lords report on immigration caused rows in parliament and there were demonstrations at immigration centres over living conditions. A judge ruled that all asylum seekers should have access to free healthcare and London mayoral candidates pledged support for an amnesty on illegal immigration - to include refused asylum seekers.
  • News review, 18 - 31 March Asylum issues featured prominently in the news this week, as the Independent Asylum Commission published a damning report, bishops criticised the treatment of asylum seekers and members of the House of Lords demanded a moratorium on removals to Iran. UNHCR published figures showing a rise in asylum applications from Iraq as the government prepared to resettle 2,000 Iraqis in the UK. Zimbabweans facing deportation were threatened with imprisonment on their return.
  • News review, 4 - 17 March This week’s News Review includes a number of controversial stories, including the withdrawal of support for refused Iraqi asylum seekers, forced returns to Zimbabwe and public outcry over a gay teenager facing deportation to Iran. More positive news includes a High Court decision to award £15,000 damages to a Cameroonian asylum seeker, Lord Goldsmith’s citizenship review, a new play about teenage detainees, and the nomination of a refugee’s memoir for a top literary prize.
  • News Review, 19 Feb – 03 March The News review this week reports on a number of criticisms made at the government over asylum policy – detention, dispersal plans, the Clannebor pilot scheme, immigration policies and the treatment of Iraqi refugees and unaccompanied young people seeking asylum. The latest asylum statistics were also released.
  • News Review, 5 - 18 February It was a good week for asylum seekers in Scotland, with the start of an extensive review of cases and an increase in ESOL funding. The news was less positive in the rest of the UK – as church leaders urged the authorities to improve the asylum system, friends of an 18-year-old heart patient said that he died because he was denied NHS treatment and eight people fought for their lives after being found stowed away in a tanker.
  • News Review, 22 January - 4 February This week’s News Review looks at issues affecting young people, including Home Office proposals to deport unaccompanied children, a 14 year old sickle cell anaemia patient who’s fighting to remain in the UK and conditions faced by children in immigration centres. It also covers a new citizens’ consultation on the treatment of asylum seekers and brings together the latest special features on individual stories.
  • News Review, 8 - 21 January In the same week as a young sickle cell anaemia sufferer faced deportation, doctors said that they would defy plans to withdraw healthcare to refused asylum seekers. The government announced the ratification of the Council of Europe’s Convention Against Trafficking and launched a 10 point plan on immigration, including compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals.
  • News review, 18 December 07 - 07 January 08 The News review reports on a race relation audit of detention centres, the growing refugee crisis in Kenya, Barnardo's report on the welfare of children from asylum seeking families and protests made at BIA regional offices.
  • News review, 4 - 17 December Plans to stop refused asylum seekers using GP services widely criticised; UN announces aid plan for returning Iraqi refugees; Australia moves to end the 'Pacific Solution'; Restrictions on resettlement of Iraqi interpreters emerge; plus Paddington Bear is questioned over his immigration status!
  • News review, 20 November - 3 December A review of his case grants asylum to a Burmese dissident; Use of wooden staves at an immigration removal centre criticised; Iraqi asylum claims up this quarter while some of those who fled to Syria start to return; final hearing of the Independent Asylum Commission; plus further news and comment.
  • News review, 6 - 19 November The House of Lords rules that Darfuris can be deported to Khartoum, overturning a court of appeal decision; the UK is charged with not living up to its responsibility on Iraqi refugees; the Home Office fears privately-run detention centres may be covering-up allegations of assault; trade unions are to campaign for the right-to-work of asylum seekers; plus much more.
  • News review, 23 October - 5 November This news review covers a three day refugee rights march in Yorkshire, a report on the need for free English lessons, loopholes which mean people are still being returned to Zimbabwe and the concerns of smaller refugee charities over funding sources drying up.
  • News review, 9 - 22 October This week we report on the IAC hearings in Manchester and look at the latest on the refugee situation in Iraq and an update on Burmese refugees. We also look at detention and destitution in Scotland. The news review also reports on Emma Thompson piece in the Mirror and the Refugee Council’s new report on refugee integration.
  • News review, 25 September - 8 October As Gordon Brown announces asylum and financial help for Iraqi interpreters, we look at other Iraqis who haven’t been so lucky. Also in this news review: British guards accused of assaulting deportees; deported Darfuris talk of subsequent torture; Asylum seekers and HIV; accusations of government hypocrisy on asylum and more.
  • News review, 11 - 24 September The latest news review looks at ongoing developments in Iraq, where 2 million are now displaced internally as well as in neighbouring countries. It also looks at new evidence of the torture of deportees to Congo, refugee unemployment, the Independent Asylum Commission in Yorkshire, the Gatwick 'No Border' camp - plus coverage of the Refugee Council at the party conferences.
  • News review, 14 August - 10 September The latest news review looks at the Liberal Democrat call for a selective amnesty for undocumented immigrants, amongst other immigration policies. It also highlights a new development over deportations to the Democratic Republic of Congo, some recent asylum statistics, and criticisms of the fast-track asylum process.
  • News reviews, January - August 2007 Archived news reviews dated January to August 2007.
  • News review 2006 Archived Refugee Council news reviews from 2006.
  • News review 2005 Archived Refugee Council news reviews from 2005.
 

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