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20/06/2005
Amnesty report accuses government of detaining asylum seekers
Amnesty International has accused the government of "detaining" thousands of asylum seekers in Northern Ireland.
In a new report, Amnesty International has challenged Ministers to reveal how many people who have sought asylum are being detained each year and for how long.
The organisation suspects 25,000 people who have sought asylum in the UK, including women and children, were detained solely under Immigration Act powers in 2004. At present no annual figure has been provided by the government.
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: “Seeking asylum is not a crime. Thousands of people who have done nothing wrong are being locked up in the UK. We found that in many cases there was no apparent reason to detain people.
“The human cost of this policy is frighteningly high. We found that languishing in detention with no end in sight had led to mental illness, self-harm and even people trying to take their own life. The lawfulness of the decision to detain someone should be reviewed automatically by a court or similar independent body. People who have sought asylum are being denied justice in the UK.”
The 94-page report also examines the impact of cuts in publicly funded legal advice.
(CD/SP)
In a new report, Amnesty International has challenged Ministers to reveal how many people who have sought asylum are being detained each year and for how long.
The organisation suspects 25,000 people who have sought asylum in the UK, including women and children, were detained solely under Immigration Act powers in 2004. At present no annual figure has been provided by the government.
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: “Seeking asylum is not a crime. Thousands of people who have done nothing wrong are being locked up in the UK. We found that in many cases there was no apparent reason to detain people.
“The human cost of this policy is frighteningly high. We found that languishing in detention with no end in sight had led to mental illness, self-harm and even people trying to take their own life. The lawfulness of the decision to detain someone should be reviewed automatically by a court or similar independent body. People who have sought asylum are being denied justice in the UK.”
The 94-page report also examines the impact of cuts in publicly funded legal advice.
(CD/SP)
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