United Refugee Organization

THE CLANNEBOR PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Clannebor Project (“Clann” is Gaelic for family; “Ebor” is Latin for York), is a pilot project currently being run by the Border and Immigration Agency based at Leeds Waterside.
The project has been designed to encourage families who are appeal rights exhausted (ARE), and who have no basis to remain in the UK, to depart voluntarily. It actively promotes IOM and voluntary departure at every point in the process.
A number of families have been selected for the pilot, and it includes a wide cross-section of nationalities. (more…)

The European Commission has unveiled a Blue Card for skilled immigrants, its version of the US Green Card.

If accepted by member nations, the card would allow suitably qualified people and their families to live and work within the EU.

The EU says it needs 20 million skilled immigrants over the next 20 years, and is very short of expertise in engineering and computer technology.

Correspondents say another aim of the proposal is to deter the best brains from emigrating to the US and Canada to find work.

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The Court of Appeal gave judgment this morning in R (AR) (Afghanistan) -v- SSHD dismissing the Home Office appeal against the decision of Collins J in the High Court in November 2005. The Court of Appeal confirmed the High Court decision and clarified the legal position on what should count as a fresh application for asylum.

If a “failed asylum-seeker” presents new evidence to the Home Office which would lead to a reasonable prospect of succeeding in an appeal before an immigration judge, the Home Office must “record a fresh claim for asylum”.

A “fresh claim” means that the applicant can receive welfare support while it is being dealt with, and also may appeal to an immigration judge if the Home Secretary goes on to refuse the fresh claim after fully considering it.

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18 October 2007

New research by the Refugee Council and the University of Birmingham contains powerful evidence of refugees’ own experiences and understanding of integration.

Carried out in the London Borough of Haringey and Dudley in the West Midlands, the research is an important contribution to the debate about integration and settlement into Britain.

While the report shows that there are some successes, it is widely accepted that integration in many areas is poor, and various government initiatives are in place to try to address this. However, the research shows that Home Office policies on asylum, including restrictions on the right to work, benefits below the poverty line and lack of help with settling into the UK until people have been granted leave to stay hinders integration and creates more divided communities.

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The Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne, pledged a ‘new balance in migration policy’ during a speech to public servants in Essex today.

Speaking to an audience drawn from key local representatives in education, business and local Government, the Minister set out a 12-month programme of sweeping changes to Britain’s immigration systems and strategy. (more…)