Home Affairs Committee
I am Suzanne Fletcher MBE, and a founder member of Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary.
We had raised problems experienced by, and told to us by, Refugee Radio, with Julian Huppert MP. He asked questions in the House of Commons. The situation is not resolved.
1. Although Mark Harper told the House on February 3rd 2013 in answering a question from Julian Huppert that “all individuals who are held in immigration removal centres can access public radio stations, of which Refugee Radio is one, through personal radios or through the facilities provided at centres.” Refugee Radio tell us that they are a human rights charity that produce radio content, some of which is broadcast by community FM radio stations and some of which is podcasted and streamed on their website. There are no detention centres within the FM broadcast range and so, again contrary to what Mark Harper stated, nobody who is held in detention is able to listen to Refugee Radio on a normal radio.
2. Mark Harper also said on February 6th, in answer to a question from Julian Huppert, that The websites of the Refugee Council, the UN Refugee Agency, the Home Office, the High Court and Refugee Radio do not fall into any of the prohibited categories that screening software would block out. However there are still reports of these sites being blocked at times and only available intermittently. This is seriously detrimental to asylum seekers wanting to prepare their cases.
3. Social networking sites are still being blocked by UKBA in detention centres. These sites are ways that detainees can keep in touch with family, friends, and current affairs, at no cost. In a small way it allows detainees to lessen their isolation and distress. Detainees who have committed no crime should not be punished.
We recommend that:
(i) The Select Committee ensures that the Home Office update their information about Refugee Radio, and ensure that it can be accessed on the internet by all detained in detention centres for immigration purposed.
(ii) Access to the sites cited by the Minister as being accessible, are so, and that the situation is monitored.
(iii) We also ask the Select Committee to recommend that those in detention for immigration purposes can access Social Networking sites.
At a meeting hosted by Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary last year, we met a number of asylum seekers brought by Movement for Justice. These people had distressing testimonies about non recognition of Female Genital Mutilation as a reason to seek asylum, and this went for other traumatic issues such as traumatic effects of rape, torture, trafficking, forced marriage, anti-gay persecution. Also personal stories of treatment in detention centres, especially the women from Yarlswood. They met with Members of Parliament, the House of Lords, and a number of others at the meeting on a one to one basis.
We ask the Select Committee to take on board a number of the recommendations from Movement for Justice campaign for Yarlswood women including :
1. The end of unnecessary detention, particularly those who have victims of rape, abuse and torture, who are disabled, critically ill, and the elderly.
2. The end of “Fast Track” which denies them justice when isolated in detention, and having to have stressful interviews and hearings within a few days.
3. Uncensored access to the internet, as material needed for preparation of cases in blocked by UKBA. Also the right to change legal representatives when needed, and better access to legal aid.
4. The rights of women who have been subjected to sexual abuse as above to be able to seek asylum and be properly listened to.
5. The right to privacy and respect, with an end to male officers walking into female detainees rooms; supervision by UKBA officers when seeing medical doctors either within the detention centre or outside it; and the right to privacy and confidentiality by officers not discussing their health issues with other officers and fellow detainees.
6. To stop exploitation of detainees by just paying 50p an hour to those who do work in the centre. They work to get credit for their phones and extra food.
7. To stop the £10.00 charge for access to medical records; reduce the prices in the detention centre shop to those in the outside market, and stop making detainees pay for goods donated free by charities.
We are asking the Select Committee to consider these recommendations, many of which could be implemented without delay or new legislation.
Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary
April 2013