United Refugee Organization

There are more than 70 countries ruled by dictators who exercise arbitrary authority over their citizens and who cannot be removed from power through legal means. These tyrants suppress the freedoms of speech and religion, and the right to a fair trial. Some also commit torture, execute opponents and starve their own people.

 PARADE’s annual list is drawn in part on reports from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and the U.S. State Department. Notably, there are two leaders who did not make this year’s list: Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan, No. 8 last year, died in December; and Fidel Castro, No. 15, relinquished power in Cuba to his brother Raul on July 31. Among the newcomers are Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Vladimir Putin of Russia. Some who moved up in rank are Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei, Hu Jintao of China, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Bashar al-Assad of Syria. But by no means does this indicate that those whom they passed showed improvements. (more…)

MORE than 500 West Yorkshire volunteers give more than 100,000 hours of their time every year to help refugees and asylum seekers.

The figures have come from the Refugee Council in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Research shows the picture often painted of British people as hostile or indifferent to refugees and asylum seekers is one-sided, says the Council.

Charlotte Cooke, Refugee Council Head of Operations in Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “This research shows that Yorkshire’s tradition of welcoming people fleeing from danger is still alive and kicking. Some sections of the media and some politicians have helped to foster the idea that the vast majority of Britons are only interested in stopping people getting here in the first place or kicking them out as soon as possible. (more…)