License to work for Zimbabweans without status

From: Living Ghosts <livingghosts@church-poverty.org.uk>
Subject: License to work for Zimbabweans without status
To: "Judy Midgley" <judy.beacon@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wednesday, 16 July, 2008, 12:01 PM

In the last week a small but significant dent was made in the government's policy of destitution. Gordon Brown removed the immediate threat of deportation hanging over the approximately 11,000 Zimbabweans refused asylum in the UK.

At Prime Minister's questions, Gordon Brown said the government is "actively looking at what we can do to support Zimbabweans in this country who are failed asylum seekers, who cannot work and who are prevented from leaving the UK through no fault of their own."

Whilst he and the Foreign Office have been actively advocating regime change, the Home Office and UK Borders Agency have just as actively been trying to starve thousands of people back to Zimbabwe . One arm of the UK Government wants to build the capacity of exiled Zimbabwean civil society, but another arm is working hard to denigrate the skills of the future of leaders by making them destitute and banning them from working. It is tragic that it has taken the gruesome events in Zimbabwe to force the government to think again about its policy.

QUICK ACTION!

While this is in the news this is an excellent time for you to contact the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith. We have a special website that gives you a template and automatically emails it to her. Please take few minutes to do this here.

Also if you also have time, write to the Foreign Secretary to make the point to him that Britain's foreign policy interests and responsibilities are best served by letting Zimbabweans work. Do that here.

Thank you for your efforts,

Strike while the iron is hot.

Alan Thornton

(Church Action on Poverty)

PS. If you want to know what destitution is like read this week's blog from Revd Canon Nick Sagovsky, of Westminster Abbey, who is living on the food and income of somebody refused asylum.

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Along with many others BEACON members have been campaigning against the government decision to deny Health care to refused asylum seekers. We are pleased to announce that the campaign was a success.

This is a very important and welcome judgement.
For the last four years we have seen the devastating impact of these regulations: cancer sufferers being denied radiotherapy and an operation, pregnant women refused antenatal care then forced to give birth at home, victims of rape being denied treatment. They have been a nightmare for health professionals, who have found themselves prevented from treating sick people.
"It is a matter of simple humanity to look after people who are unwell. These people are here lawfully and they have made themselves known to the authorities by seeking asylum. Many will have been through terribly traumatic experiences. And almost none have the means to pay for hospital treatment. We hope this ruling will put an end to the practice of preventing vulnerable, ill people from getting the treatment they need."

Thank you to everyone who campaigned on this issue.
This is a good example of how each of us can make a difference and effect policy change.

Church Action on Poverty (CAP) have produced a new action pack so that we can all campaign more effectively to end the deliberate policy of making Asylum Seekers destitute. Say NO to using destitution as a Government tool.?Recent research estimates that there are between 2000-3000 destitute Asylum Seekers in LEEDS ?Living Ghosts - no food, no money, no hope

Click here for the Destitution Pack from www.church-poverty.org (pdf file)
Or go to their website www.church-poverty.org.uk/campaigns for the latest updates.

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For over a year The Independent Asylum Commission have been gathering information about the Asylum System from different people around the country. Jonathan Cox the coordinator has this to say
'With the help of supporters like you, the Independent Asylum Commission has made a massive impact. Not only has the government agreed to give serious consideration to our proposals, but our work has been featured in the mainstream media (in the Sun, the Mirror, the Express - combined readership 5 million - to name a few) and on the BBC Today Programme (2.3 million listeners) and has been the subject of many radio phone-ins, blogs and online debates. In short, we have begun to influence the way sanctuary in the UK is discussed - now we want to improve the way sanctuary is decided, and how those seeking sanctuary are treated.

You can find both of the Commission's reports - Fit for Purpose Yet? and Saving Sanctuary - on our website www.independentasylumcommission.org.uk. Some of you even get a namecheck! We will be publishing two reports that focus on improving the asylum system itself in a few weeks time.'

Geoff Reid the Chair of BEACON has urged churches to seize hold of the Independent Asylum Commission's Report "and not let go."

Read the report now with comments from the media and church leaders and make your response. Write to your MP and the Home secretary, make other people aware