Asylum Update – 10th March 2008

Return and torture
The European Court on Human Rights has reasserted the absolute nature of Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights in its ruling in the Saadi v. Italy case. See press release and Amnesty comment. During the proceedings the UK had argued that in cases of national security, states should be allowed to deport foreign nationals even if there is a risk of torture or ill-treatment on return. Through the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill it is seeking to extend NASS conditions, previously reserved for asylum seekers, to anyone who cannot be deported for such reasons. See IRR commentary

Imkaan paper
A Right to Exist is a new research paper on recent trends within the delivery of services and safe spaces to Black, Asian minority ethnic and refugee (BAMER) women and children within the UK, written by Anjum Mouj for Imkaan

Destitution
‘The Destitution Tally: an indication of the extent of destitution among asylum seekers and refugees’ is a new study by the Asylum Support Programme Inter-Agency Partnership.

Frontex report
The House of Lords European Union Committee has published the ‘9th Report of Session 2007-08 – FRONTEX: the EU external borders agency – Report with Evidence’.

Children’s commissioner’s report
The Children’s Commissioner Professor Sir Al Aynsley has released a report with recommendations into the treatment of unaccompanied children seeking asylum at the BIA Screening Unit in Croydon.

Refugee Council
Now available: Refugee Council response to BIA statistics review and submission to Lord Goldsmith QC’s Citizenship Review.

Asylum Rights Watch
A summary of this survey of asylum seekers’ experiences has been released by Asylum Aid

Kenya in Crisis
A new report from the International Crisis Group.

UNHCR
Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls January 2008 now available here