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Table of Contents Seeking asylum is not a crime: detention of people who have sought asylum 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction.................................................................................................. Methodology .................................................................................................. CHAPTER ONE: THE HUMAN COST OF DETENTION..............................................12 The detention of vulnerable people ..................................................................................... 13 a. Detention of families ................................................................................................... 14 The Hani family........................................................................................................... 15 Eveline and her baby ................................................................................................... 16 b. detention of torture survivors ...................................................................................... 17 Josephine ..................................................................................................................... 17 c. detention following a dispute over the age of an asylum-seeker ................................. 19 Ibrahim ........................................................................................................................ 19 The detrimental effects of detention.................................................................................... 20 Michael............................................................................................................................ 21 Mark ................................................................................................................................22 Paolo................................................................................................................................22 Detention in Prison.............................................................................................................. 23 Ylli................................................................................................................................... 23 Prolonged detention............................................................................................................. 24 George ............................................................................................................................. 25 Fast-track procedures........................................................................................................... 25 a) A faster denial of justice.............................................................................................. 25 Jean.............................................................................................................................. 26 b) How fast are fast-track procedures?............................................................................ 27 Lamine......................................................................................................................... 27 Meguen........................................................................................................................ 28 The human cost of errors by the immigration authorities.................................................... 29 Shafiq............................................................................................................................... 29 People who have claimed asylum are human...................................................................... 30 a) Movement around the detention estate........................................................................ 30 Patrice.......................................................................................................................... 30 b) Allegations of assault during forcible removals.......................................................... 31 Cisse ............................................................................................................................ 31 CHAPTER TWO: DETENTION IN THE UK....................................................................35 The international legal framework ...................................................................................... 35 When is detention lawful?................................................................................................... 37 The power to detain and the reasons for detention.............................................................. 38 Attempting to increase forced returns: expansion of the immigration detention estate ...... 39 Where people are detained .................................................................................................. 40 The truth about numbers...................................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER THREE: JUSTICE DENIED........................................................................... Seeking asylum is not a crime ............................................................................................. 46 Amnesty International 20 June 2005 AI Index: EUR 45/015/2005 2 Seeking asylum is not a crime: detention of people who have sought asylum No maximum time limit to detention .................................................................................. 47 Limbo, hopelessness and inadequate channels of communication and facilities ................ 48 Who is detained? The “bed lottery” .................................................................................... 49 “Special operations” ............................................................................................................ 49 Is all this detention necessary? ............................................................................................ 51 Lack of access to legal advice and representation............................................................... 54 Legal avenues to challenge detention in the UK ................................................................. 56 Obstacles to seeking release from detention by a bail application ...................................... 59 CHAPTER FOUR: ACCELERATED ASYLUM-DETERMINATION PROCEDURES - JUSTICE DENIED FASTER..................................................................................... Fast-track procedures and detention.................................................................................... 59 The fast-track procedures at Oakington Reception Centre.............................................. 64 The Super Fast-track at Harmondsworth IRC ................................................................. 65 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................... RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................ Appendix I General International Human Rights Standards Relating to Detention ...... 74 APPENDIX II International refugee law and standards .................................................. 83 Appendix III Twenty guidelines on forced return.............................................................. 86 Amnesty International is grateful to all who contributed to this report, in particular: Sarah Cutler of Bail for Immigration Detainees Nicola Rogers, 2 Garden Court Chambers Anneliese Baldaccini The Scottish Refugee Council Amnesty International would also like to acknowledge the assistance received from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at the Home Office. Amnesty International 20 June 2005 AI Index: EUR 45/015/2005 Seeking asylum is not a crime: detention of people who have sought asylum 3 United Kingdom SEEKING ASYLUM IS NOT A CRIME Detention of people who have sought asylum Introduction border to flee to a neighbouring country to In order to escape persecution and conflict reach safety. Some risk hazardous in their own countries refugees are forced journeys to reach the UK, a country to to abandon their homes, their families and which they may already have a link their livelihoods.1 The majority of the 17 through the Commonwealth, language, million refugees, asylum-seekers2 and relatives or a community living there. others of concern to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The number of asylum claims to (UNHCR),3 just cross an international industrialized countries, including the UK, is declining. According to UNHCR “the 1 “International law defines a ‘refugee’ as a person number of people claiming asylum in the who has fled from and/or cannot return to their UK has dropped 61 per cent over the last country due to a well-founded fear of persecution, two years, back to the levels not seen since including war or civil conflict. A refugee is a person 4 who ‘owing to a well-founded fear of being the early 1990s”. persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political In spite of this decline, in recent years, the opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and number of those detained solely under is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to Immigration Act powers in the UK who avail himself of the protection of that country… Article 1, the 1951 Convention Relating to the have claimed asylum at some stage, Status of Refugees’”. See Information & Briefings - including families with children, has Basic Definitions, on the UN High Commissioner increased. Currently, capacity in for Refugees UK website at immigration detention
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