DID YOU KNOW?

21st December 2018 by ficheb

Detention in the UK and closing pathways to detention

There are 10 detention centres in the UK holding 2-3,000 people at any one time. The UK detention estate is one of the largest in Europe.

In the year ending June 2017 27,819 people were held in UK immigration detained centres and 360 people were prison establishments for immigration offences. In the same year 48children were in the detention estate.

In the year ending June 2017, 12,542 people were removed involuntarily (enforced removals) from the UK. 1,970 out of the 12,542 people removed had previously sought asylum.

Also, in the same period, there was an increase of 4% from the previous year (44%) in the proportion of detainees being returned or ‘voluntarily’ departing from the UK on leaving detention.

In the year ending June 2017, there were 22,822voluntary returns not including returns from detention. For more information on this see the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2017/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned

Migrant Action: Closing pathways to detention

By providing information, advice & guidance, advocacy and access to justice, Migrant Action is providing vital early interventions that help to prevent migrants from detention pathways. Enabling social and economic integration of new migrants offer better alternatives to detention. We will also offer advocacy and practical support for people who are in detention (see Daniel’s story on our website).

Migrant Action also engages in Direct Action, research and campaigning for policy and system change. In November 2018, Migrant Action in collaboration with Dr Jonathan Burnett of the University of Swansea gave evidence at the Permanent Peoples Tribunal in London:

Indictment London

Migrant Action has completed further research on detention, see our full report at: https://migrantaction.org.uk/migration-briefs/reports/

Migrant Action was established in 2016 as an Advocacy and Rights based organisation providing information, guidance, advocacy support and direct practical assistance to ‘vulnerable’ migrants. Migrant Action works with migrants who have fallen through the cracks of the immigration system including (but not restricted to) stateless people, those who have been unable to regularise their status and those on temporary visas. We work to ensure equity of rights and justice for migrants, and although the primary focus of our work is not with asylum seekers and refugees, we do signpost them to appropriate … Read more ..

Happy New Year from Migrant Action

Dear friends of Migrant Action,

In a few hours, we will be saying ‘good-bye’ to 2021 and ‘welcome’ to 2022. Thank you for your solidarity and support helping to strengthen Migrant Action’s advocacy and pursuit for migrants’ rights & justice in an increasingly challenging and complex environment. The essence of our work is even more relevant now!

Context

BREXIT, the ‘New immigration bill which reinforces the ‘hostile environment’ policy targeting migrants, the Climate crisis, Covid-19, Systemic racism, negative press narratives fuelling anti-migrant sentiments by sections of the media, protracted conflicts, political violence, human rights violations, economic exploitation, and political marginalisation of the global south.

These developments constitute a disturbing environment for migrant’s rights & justice. Firstly, it engineers and sustains vulnerability and the precarious conditions that trigger more mobility of migrants across and within countries. Secondly, it entrenches and exacerbates an infrastructure that undermine migrants’ capacity to access justice, deepen inequality, racial & social injustice and routinely negate migrant rights and dignity. In essence, such an environment poses an existential threat to the dignity and humanity of migrants.

Our Response

Migrant Action is adapting and responding to this changing and complex context. We have expanded provision and adapted service delivery model to proactively support vulnerable migrants during the pandemic and beyond. We enhanced our delivery of crisis interventions to prevent homelessness & destitution, increased access to immigration advice for people with insecure immigration, increased integration support for new migrants, assisted more EU migrants to regularise their immigration status in the UK after Brexit. Our advocacy work continues to promote equity of rights and justice for migrants. Essentially, Migrant Action continues to a lifeline and safety net for vulnerable migrants in this challenging environment.

Migrant Action has also strengthened its capacity and resilience in pursuit of transformational social change. The current context demands more urgency to challenge anti-migrant sentiments and policies, tackle structural inequalities, climate change, systemic racism, and social injustice. To this vein, our strategic advocacy through ‘Strengthening Hands’ partnerships to grow migrant ‘voice’, as well as our collaborative research, capacity building and campaign-based activities have been impactful.

Looking to the future

Migrant Action anticipates operating in an even more challenging context as it grapples with the issues undermining rights and justice. However, we have emerged from 2020/21 with more capacity and resilience to respond to present and future challenges working as a team with staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, funders and of course, those we serve- migrants. Therefore, we look forward to 2022 with greater hope and fierceness commitment to rights and justice for migrants, a fair and humane immigration system and for a more equal, just, and peaceful society in which everyone including migrants can realize their full potential.

Dear friends, your solidarity remains invaluable and integral to our success, even more so, now!

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Fidelis Chebe

Director