What's Going on in Human Rights: March 2023

This term has been so busy and so so fun for Amnesty at UoB! We picked up our radio show from last year, and have been loving our weekly sessions. We partnered with Birch which is a Birmingham based charity which focuses on welcoming refugees into the city, with a particular focus on quality time and offering a sense of family and community. We organised two fundraisers: a bake-sale and Jamnesty. The profits from this combined raised more than £300 for Birch! These events were some of the highlights of our term. We are so so grateful to all the bands who performed, and everyone who came to support the cause!

In refugee rights news, we have seen the Australian government criticised for their treatment of refugees. Like Britain’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda, Australia has been holding refugees offshore, in countries like Papua New Guinea. Most of these people have been held offshore for 10 years. There have been issues with asylum seekers who require medical care not being given this. The refugees are not held in detention but are reportedly being left in dangerous and impoverished conditions. Whilst, in Amnesty society we predominantly focus on local and national issues, we think it is important to remember that the refugee crisis, and the inhumane treatment of refugees, is a problem that exists on a global scale.

In the UK a new bill affecting asylum seekers has been proposed by the government. The government themselves have acknowledged that it doesn’t meet human rights law standards. This bill would mean that people who arrive by boat illegally will be detained for 28 days before they are deported. It has been said there will be a few exceptions for children, people who are medically unfit to fly, or those who are at risk. Once deported, the individuals will be banned from returning to the UK or applying for British citizenship in the future. This means that those without access to safe and legal routes, routes which the government have not supplied to most, will be unable to reach safety here.

Furthermore, Asylum seekers who are victims of human trafficking would be barred from using Britain’s modern slavery laws to prevent deportation. This includes the landmark Modern Slavery Act, 2015, which deals with offences like forced labour, human trafficking, and exploitation among others. This is unacceptable and will leave many without the protection of the law. It is incredibly important that we hold the government to account on this issue. We ask that you write to local MPs and share information on this bill so more people are aware of its frightening implications.

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By Charlie O'Keeffe