Reports of an increase in child trafficking to the UK
Figures obtained by the Guardian newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act suggest a 90% increase in the number of children being trafficked into the UK in comparison to the last three years.
957 children in total were picked up by local authorities from April to the end of December 2008, many from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Guardian: Child trafficking into Britain accelerating, figures show
New detention centre given planning permission
Bullingdon Detention Centre will be built near Bichester in Oxfordshire and have the capacity to hold 800 people.
BBC News: Plans for asylum centre approved
Daily Express: £32m asylum centre ‘will wreck our countryside’
Children in detention centres denied access to proper education
The Guardian investigated how children in immigration detention centres lack access to proper education.
Speaking about his family’s time in detention, one father commented: "There was such a wide age range, it was impossible for the teacher to cater for the children's needs. Mostly my son drew pictures. How can you put a child in a locked environment and expect it to think and learn?"
The Guardian: In detention: Schools in immigration removal centres
Asylum and immigration cases to be heard outside London
Four Administrative Court centres will open in Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Leeds this month.
Times Online: Administrative Court takes asylum cases out to the regions
Boats carrying refugees sink off the coast of Libya, killing hundreds
Hundreds of people are feared drowned after a vessel designed for 75 people, but carrying over 300 sank off the coast of Libya.
Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, described the disaster ad “the latest tragic example of a global phenomenon in which desperate people take desperate measures to escape conflict, persecution and poverty in search of a better life.”
The Independent: Hundreds feared dead as migrant boats sink off Libya
msnbc.com: Death toll tops 200 after migrant boat sinks
Permits for Zimbabweans entering South Africa
South African authorities have announced six month permits for Zimbabweans entering the country to stay legally and access work, education and healthcare.
BBC News: South Africa permits for Zimbabwe
Kosovan woman wins Refugee Woman of the Year award
Fatbardhe Hetemaj won the Refugee Woman of the Year award from the Finnish Refugee Council for her campaigning against racist behaviour on public transport and in schools and workplaces.
Worcester Standard: Racism campaign award for refugee
Liverpool player talks about his refugee experience
Nikola Saric, striker for Liverpool, spoke with the football club’s website about his experiences as a Bosnian child refugee, growing up in a Danish refugee camp.
Liverpoolfc.tv: LFC star reveals refugee past
