Britain's double standards on human rights
Britain's double standards on human rights
Why are asylum seekers treated as objects and not accorded the same human rights as British citizens?
This was the question put to the Crown’s Chief Inspector of the UKBA and a representative of HM’s Inspectorate of Prisons by Yukai Taruvinga at the Bail for Immigration Detainees AGM on 26th January 2010.
Ms. Taruvinga, an asylum campaigner from Zimbabwe who spent two and a half months in detention, argued that women and children in detention should be accorded the same human rights as British citizens.
She also highlighted her concern over the lack of legal representation available for women seeking asylum.
Simon Hughes, MP for Southwark and Bermondsey, added to Ms Taruvinga’s concerns by describing the UK detention system as “untenable and inconsistent”. He went on to say that the UK must practice at home what it preaches abroad.
At the close of his short speech, Hughes sent out an emotive call to all groups to continue to raise awareness of the ‘illogicality, inhumanity and bad economics of holding so many people in detention.’
Faced with mounting pressure as to what will be done in the upcoming year to improve the conditions for women being held in detention, the Chief Inspector of the UKBA pointed out that he had already met with HM Inspectorate of Prisons to address that very issue. He said that there are plans for research on the impact of detention on woman to be carried out in 2010.
Whilst neither the Chief Inspector nor HM Inspectorate of Prisons made concrete promises, it seems that there is commitment by both to assessing the impact of detention on woman and to improving conditions in 2010.