Diane Abbott Hosts Refugee Women
Speakers at the meeting included four women, Begum-X, Farhat Khan, Irene Manzila and Samina Altaf, who are fighting to remain in the UK after being refused asylum. Amongst the Members of Parliament who attended were: Jeremy Corbyn MP, Gwyn Prosser MP, John McDonnell MP and Graham Stringer MP.
Diane said: “Fifty percent of the world’s refugees are girls and women but their cases get very little attention. I agreed to host this meeting because we need to highlight the plight of women asylum seekers and to honour their struggle. Women are still disproportionately vulnerable when being held in detention and much more likely to be refused asylum than men. As long as rape is not recognised as torture women remain particularly vulnerable to deportation.”
Diane said: “Despite having compelling cases for asylum gender insensitivity by the Home Office and the Refugee Convention means women are being detained and returned to very dangerous situations, often without having been able to access adequate representation.” She added: “The issue of legal aid came up again and again. We need to increase access to justice as a matter of urgency because very few women asylum seekers get the legal aid they need to fight their cases. This is due in part to a failure to address communication barriers but mainly to cuts in free legal aid.”
Diane went on: “I have been involved in anti-deportation campaigns for nearly twenty years and the climate has never been harsher. After 9/11 people have been encouraged to fear outsiders and the right-wing press repeatedly engages in unabashed vilification of asylum seekers.” Diane continued: “We won’t be able to intervene in every single case so in stead we must lobby for more compassion. The British government has a distinct historical responsibility for the displacement and economic deprivation of many refugees and must be much more proactive in promoting a fair deal for asylum seekers.”
Diane concluded: “There is still no evidence from the women that refugee organisations come into contact with that the British government is gender sensitive when it comes to dealing with asylum seekers. I have raised this issue with ministers in the past and will continue to keep up the pressure on the Home Office to take seriously the Gender Guidelines that was issued to its caseworkers several years ago.” Diane added: “I will ask some of my colleagues to join me on a visit to Yarl’s Wood detention centre in the very near future. I want to hear from the women there, in their own words, their side of the story.”
Notes to Editors
1. The meeting was organised by Kent Campaign to Defend Asylum Seekers, an asylum rights group who are coordinating an anti-deportation campaign for Begum-X an Indian rape survivor living in Dover. It is supported by Legal Action for Women who recently led an investigation into the appalling conditions under which asylum seeking women are detained at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre
2. Other speakers included Kate Adams form the Kent Campaign to defend Asylum Seekers, Farhat Khan fro the Farhat and Family Must Stay campaign, Cristal Amiss from Black Women’s Rape Campaign, Irene Manzila from All African Women’s Group, Samina Altaf from the Samina Will Stay campaign, Deborah Singer from Refugee Women’s Resource Project and Asylum Aid, Niki Adams from Legal Action for Women and Hannah Siddiqui from Southall Black Sisters.
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