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May RJ Update

In this issue:

Open Weekend and National Ecumenical Service
Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 June David Livingstone Centre, Blantyre
To mark the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in Scotland.
Commemorating the victims of slavery, past and present and seeking to eliminate the legacies of slavery, For more information go to http://www.scotlandandslavery.org.uk

The number of families and adults in detention at Dungavel in January revealed

1. Racist incidents in Scotland:

Life for asylum seeker's murderer
Paul Brown of Glasgow has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the assault leading to the death of Wei Wang, a Chinese asylum seeker. BBC 

Traffic bump led to racist abuse, couple tell court
A leading human rights lawyer and his wife were the victims of a racist road-rage attack, a court heard yesterday. Scotsman

Racist robber jailed
Alan McDougall, 19, was jailed for five and a half years after a brutal racist robbery on Asian shop keeper Saad Quereshi in Glasgow. He hit his victim so hard with a baseball bat that it had broken. BBC  

2. Developments, Reports and Investigations

England: an identity in question
The trend toward Britain’s fragmentation leaves its majority nation in search of itself, finds Roger Scruton. Open Democracy

BME communities living in 'economic apartheid'
New research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that two-thirds of Pakistani and Bangladeshi children are living in poverty and that ethnic minorities suffer twice the level of poverty as Whites. Guardian

Multiculturalism, citizenship and national identity
The idea of multiculturalism has faced a wave of criticism from voices who blame it for accentuating social division, reinforcing Muslim separateness and undermining national identity. But a developed view of multiculturalism can complement democratic citizenship and nation-building, says Tariq Modood. Open Democracy

Multiculturalism and nation building go hand in hand
Guardian

3 Asylum and refugess

Freedom of Information request: In January 2007 how many families were in Immigration Detention in: Dungavel IRC, Tinsley House IRC, Yarl's Wood IRC; How many adults and how many children?

Information released: The information requested is in the table attached and it should be noted that families may be moved from one centre to another during a month so some families will appear at more than one centre.

Download the figures from the Home Office

Pelters and Praise For Dungavel
The number of child detainees at a controversial asylum detention centre has increased and the amount of time they spend there has also risen, a report said today. Evening Times 

More Children Held At Dungavel
Inspectors found 122 youngsters had been held at the Dungavel House unit in Lanarkshire in the first 11 months of last year, up from 94 in the whole of 2005. Herald 

Asylum seekers handcuffed on ferry to Scotland
A government report says asylum seekers are being handcuffed on the ferry across the Irish Sea to Scotland. The report, which focused on the Strathaven asylum centre, also reported an increase in the number of children being held at the centre. BBC  

'Down but Not Out'
Over 100 delegates attended the Churches' Refugee Network conference which was held in collaboration with ECSR. ECSR 

C of E joins asylum campaign
Ekklesia 

Church Challenges Government over Failed Asylum Seekers
Christian Today 

'Air rage' lets asylum seekers stay in UK
During the past two years there have been 1,173 occasions when attempts to remove detained people have failed due to disruptive behaviour on their part. BBC 

Refugee from genocide to be kicked out
Edinburgh News 

Archbishop's 'mass for migrants' in campaign for illegal immigrant amnesty
Ekklesia 

Education Action International has launched a website with education advice for refugees and asylum seekers. 

Fearful mother and girls plead to stay in Glasgow
Evening News, http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.1381869.0.fearful_mother_and_girls_plead_to_stay_in_glasgow.php

4. Immigration

How the Eastern European influx has affected life in Scotland   
Scotsman 

86,000 Poles May Be Living In Scotland, Say Emigre Groups
The number of Poles in Scotland is nearly three times higher than government figures suggest, senior police officers were told yesterday. Herald 

New immigration bill backed by MPs
Tough new laws aimed at tightening immigration have cleared the House of Commons. The UK Borders Bill will introduce compulsory biometric ID cards for non-EU nationals and gives greater powers to immigration officers. Scotsman

Sheriff calls for law lessons for Polish staff    
Scotsman 

5. Marking the Bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade

See www.scotlandandslavery.org.uk

6. Campaigns

Strangers into Citizens: Proposal
Strangers into Citizens is a campaign by the country’s largest alliance of civic institutions for a pathway into citizenship for undocumented migrants who have made new lives in the UK. The Citizens Organising Foundation (COF) believes the case for an “earned amnesty” is compelling, on humanitarian, economic, fiscal and administrative grounds; and is busy building an alliance of citizens calling on Government to implement a one-off “earned amnesty” law as part of its overhaul of the UK’s immigration policy. Stranger into Citizens website  

Scotland Campaign Against Criminalising Communities

7. Publications:

Poverty and ethnicity in the UK

This wide-ranging review of the literature, by Lucinda Platt at the University of Essex, summarises the findings of poverty and ethnicity research since 1991. It describes differences in poverty rates and experiences by ethnic group. Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Download the full report pdf file, 776kb

Ethnic minorities in the labour market: dynamics and diversity
This research examines the labour market performance of Britain’s ethnic minorities. In particular, it emphasises the diversity of their experience and the dynamic change in the relative positions of ethnic groups between 1991 and 2001. While some groups have improved their labour market position relative to white people, substantial disadvantage remains, both in access to jobs and in earnings once in employment. Joseph Rowntree Foundation 
Download the full report pdf file, 400kb

'Asylum Statistics: 1st Quarter 2007 - United Kingdom'. Home Office published research
Download the report pdf file, 280kb

'Long-term ill health, poverty and ethnicity', by Sarah Salway, Lucinda Platt, Punita Chowbey, Kaveri Harriss and Elizabeth Bayliss, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Download the findings pdf file, 88kb
Download the full report pdf file, 728kb

'Poverty among ethnic groups: How and why does it differ?' by Guy Palmer and Peter Kenway, Joseph Rowntree Foundation report.
Download the findings pdf file, 216kb
Download the full report pdf file 1mb

Refugees in the 21st Century: Can we find a solution, Lluis Magrina, Christianisme i Justicia, Booklet 123, download PDF format 

The Refugee Council has launched its newly revised 'Support pack' that provides help and tips on dealing with situations arising from the asylum process.
View the 'Support pack'  

Life and Law in Britain
Target age, KS3 - KS4, Download  the  PDF version

Ending Slavery: an unfinished business
Download PDF file