Under The Persimmon TreeRefugees and Asylum
Amnesty's goal is to bring about a fair and effective asylum system. We attempt to achieve that goal in a number of ways - carrying out research into aspects of asylum policy and practice, developing proposals for improving those policies and practices, and then promoting our proposals with the government, members of parliament and other influential audiences.
Refugee week: 15 - 21 June 2009
Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of arts, cultural and educational events
that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK - countering fear, ignorance
and the negative stereotyping of refugees.
The simple acts campaign asks people to take at least one of 20 'simple acts' that could make a big difference to the way people see refugees in Britain; from cooking a dish from another country, to doing a quiz on refugees, or learning to say a few words in a different language, you can make a difference.
Nick Broomfield film on destitution
Documentary maker Nick Broomfield has made a new short film for Amnesty International to highlight the issue of destitute refused asylum seekers in the UK. Amnesty is campaigning to end the scandal of destitution of refused asylum seekers. We are supporting the Still Human Still Here campaign along with other refugee, migrant and church organisations who are working on rights and welfare of asylum seekers in the UK.
To order a free DVD of this film please contact the Still Human Still Here campaign on +44 (0)20 7033 1600
still human, still here
The shocking, hidden lives of asylum seekers, whose bids for sanctuary have been
rejected by the government, are revealed for the first time in a new photo exhibition.
Panos photographer, Abbie Trayler-Smith, has photographed men and women who have fled torture and persecution in their own countries only to endure a new kind of torment here - destitution.
Iraqi refugee crisis
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Seeking asylum is not a crime
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Amnesty's report Rhetoric and Reality: The Iraqi Refugee Crisis shows how the international community evades its responsibility towards Iraqi
refugees by promoting a false picture of the security situation. 
Amnesty challenges the Government to reveal how many people who have sought asylum
are detained each year and for how long. We believe that more than 25,000 people
who sought asylum in the UK were detained solely under Immigration Act powers
in 2004. Trauma continues for Palestinians fleeing Iraq
At least 729 Palestinian refugees who have fled Iraq are stranded in appalling
conditions in al-Tanf camp in the no-man's land on the Iraq-Syria border. They
have been targeted for human rights abuses since the US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003. We are urging the UK Government to ensure that help is provided in
resettling these refugees.
- Read the report Al-Tanf Camp: Refugee camp trauma continues for Palestinians (PDF)
Somalis denied refuge
Following a research mission to Kenya, Amnesty has published a report calling on the government of Kenya to immediately re-open its border and permit those fleeing conflict in Somalia to seek refuge.
Since Kenya decided to close its border with the its war-torn neighbour Somalia on 3 January 2007, thousands of Somali asylum-seekers and refugees have been left stranded. The decision has put asylum-seekers and refugees at risk of grave human rights violations.
- Read the report Kenya: Denied Refuge - The effect of the closure of the Kenya/Somalia border on thousands of Somali asylum-seekers and refugees
- Read a feature about the report on amnesty.org
- Watch a video testimony from Somali asylum seekers:
Video: The Removed
Watch a short film documenting the experiences of a family being taken into detention.
The clip is produced by Camcorder Guerillas, a Glasgow-based collective of independent
filmmakers.
 | The Removed A campaign video about asylum seekers in the UK |
