Refugee Week coverage
The below pieces show some of the media coverage of Refugee Week, from local events, comment and discussion pieces and blogs.
Nationals:
The Independent: Britons urged to try a simple act of kindness
The Independent: Refugees find their voice – will we listen?
The Guardian: Refugees need more than tea and sympathy
The Guardian: ‘The worst part is having to beg for care’
The Guardian: The millions who can’t go home
The Guardian: ‘Displacement is not new’
The Guardian: Bringing migrants into the light
The Guardian: Gallery: Refugee Week Simple Acts campaign
Times Online: No bed of roses for asylum seekers
Local press:
The Argus: Refugee Week under way
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Bradford marks national Refugee Week
This is Bristol: Asylum Dialogues tackles our misconceptions
Enfield Independent: Amnesty march for better treatment of asylum seekers
Evening Star: Exhibition shows off plight of refugees
The List: Refugee Week Scotland 2009 – Fugee la la
Shields Gazette: Libraries doing their bit for refugees
Web:
Ekkelsia: Northern Ireland school children become refugees
Londonist: Celebrating Sanctuary festival for Refugee Week
Public Accounts Committee report expresses concern at speed of casework and removal
In response to the Public Accounts Committee report, Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:
“It is in everyone’s interests, not least those of refugees, that we have an asylum system that works well and provides safety to those who need it. There are a number of reasons why someone whose asylum claim has been refused has not returned home, in many cases it is simply not safe for them to do so. Locking more people up is categorically not the answer.”
Read full Refugee Council news story
The Economist: After the backlog, a backlog
Sunday Express: MPs warn over failed asylum seekers
The Telegraph: Fewer failed asylum seekers are sent home
Red Cross survey reveals confused public view of refugees
An ICM survey commissioned by the British Red Cross reveals a general lack of understanding of the issues surrounding refugees in the UK by the British public.
Nearly a quarter of the 1000 asked thought that there were over 100,000 asylum applications to the UK each year, around four times the true figure of 25,670.
However, when given a choice of positive or negative words to associate with refugees, 92 per cent of people gave at least one positive association, while less than half gave one or more negative associations.
Red Cross survey results
The Independent: Prejudice and ignorance skew public view of asylum seekers
Yarl’s Wood hunger strike
Since Monday around 30 detainees at Yarl’s Wood have been on hunger strike in protest at poor healthcare and the detention of children at the detention centre.
The Guardian: Hunger strike at Yarl’s Wood
Report shows high percentage of attempted suicide among refugee women
A survey carried out among 46 women seeking asylum in Scotland by the Gender Violence and Health Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Scottish Refugee Council revealed 22 per cent had attempted suicide and 20 per cent had experienced suicidal thoughts.
The Scotsman: Nearly 25% of refugee women have tried to kill themselves
Children trafficked to work in cannabis farms
The Metro newspaper highlighted the trafficking of children from South-East Asia to work in cannabis factories in the UK.
The Metro: Ten year olds in drugs hothouses
LSE report suggests economic boost from amnesty for illegal immigrants
A report by the London School of Economics commissioned by London mayor Boris Johnson suggests that an amnesty for illegal immigrants living in Britain would add £3bn to gross domestic product and annual tax revenues of nearly £850 bn.
Financial Times: Economic fillip predicted from migrant amnesty
