TARGETING REFUGEES

The UK Border Agency is messing up even more than usual in an attempt to meet an arbitrary target of clearing the backlog of 450,000 unresolved asylum cases by the end of this month – with devastating results for the victims of their “bizarre”, irrational and sloppy decisions.

Back in 2006, the then home secretary John Reid set the deadline to prevent asylum seekers being stuck in limbo in the system for years, but the UKBA haven’t kept up with the schedule. Their decision-making sucks at the best of times – a quarter of deportation orders by the Home Office are overturned on appeal.

Given that migrants are soon to be denied the legal aid which makes appeals possible, the picture’s looking bleaker and bleaker for asylum seekers (see SchNEWS 779). Although earlier this year the UKBA was forced to make the embarrassing admission that 75,000 cases had simply “disappeared” of its records. On can hope those 75,000 are happily and comfortably residing in the bosom of Great Britain undisturbed.

As reported in last weeks SchNEWS Croydon No Borders are holding a demonstration in Haywards Heath this Saturday (30th) against child detention - meet at Muster Green at 1pm. For those travelling from Brighton, transport will leave the north side of the Level at 11am.