Blair attacks asylum seekers

Blair attacks asylum seekers

LONDON — On November 24, the Tony Blair Labour government in Britain announced plans to introduce new asylum and immigration legislation in the current parliamentary sitting.

The key proposals in the legislation, announced in a government white paper titled Fairer, Faster, Firmer, include withdrawing benefit rights from all asylum seekers and introducing a system of cashless vouchers; compelling asylum seekers to live in designated accommodation in any part of the country; and extending the use of immigration detention and increasing the detention powers of custody officers.

As well, the legislation requires financial bonds from visitors needing a visa; ends the right of appeal against deportation for those who have been here for more than seven years; grants police powers to the immigration service; and increases internal immigration controls through continuing immigration checks at work and encouraging marriage registrars to check applicants' immigration status.

Opponents of the legislation say the proposals will not only further undermine asylum rights, but many of them will also lead to greater discrimination against resident people of colour.

A campaign to stop the legislation and calling on the government to restore benefit rights to asylum seekers that were removed by the previous Tory government was launched at a public meeting organised by the National Assembly Against Racism in London on the day Labour announced its plans.

For more information, visit the web site of the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns at <http://www.ncadc.demon.co.uk/>.

From GLW issue 343