The Plight of the 'Living Ghost'

About Me

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Manchester, United Kingdom
I am a social worker based in Manchester, I also teach English language to people who would otherwise have no other way of accessing lessons. I have one daughter who is a musician and a lovely little dog. I would describe myself as just an average type of person however, I do have a passion for the rights of the human. I began working as a social worker in 2004 and for a couple of years my job was good, challenging and everything I hoped it would be until a man walked into my place of work. He was Iranian, extremely courtious with reasonable English. When I started working with him and listened to his story it seemed so far from reality that I went home and researched extensively. This was the moment that I realised I had just encountered what the British government would term 'A Living Ghost'

So What does the law say?

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006Posted: 18 March 2008 Subscribe Online
Expert guide on the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, which received royal assent in March 2006, is the fourth piece of asylum and immigration legislation since Labour came to power in 1997.
The act includes measures to:
1-* Restrict appeals for people refused entry to the UK to work or study
2-* Introduce a new asylum model involving new decision making processes
3-* Only give refugees a temporary right to remain in the UK for five years which can be removed at any stage if the situation in their country improves. Only once five years is up would they be given a right to stay in the UK permanently.
4-* Tackle illegal working through a new civil penalties scheme for employers by introducing fines of up to £2, 000 per illegal employee and custodial sentences of up to two-years.
5-* Give out unlimited fines to those who knowingly use or exploit illegal workers.
6-* Strengthen border controls by allowing data sharing between the Immigration Service, police and customs.
7-* Give refugees an integration loan rather than a grant as under the current system
8-* Extend the detention inspection regime to cover escort arrangements

It seems pretty clear doesn't it? Fair maybe? Well lets look a bit closer.......

Point 1...People who are denied the right to work or study (Refused entry) are already here! Honest. And the government know.
Point 2... The New decision making model can take anything from months to years to decide someone's fate.
Point 3...Some people are here because they supported the wrong political party or dared to excercise free speech. These people may be returned home once their country improves but this isnt about the safety of the country per se, its about the rights of the human in question, the right to live.
Point 4...Tackling illegal working and illegal employment. I guess it is true that people without access to public recourse 'living ghosts' are open to exploitation. I have seen people who work in shops from 6am to 9pm for £20 per day and they work hard. Employers know they can get away with it but think about it.... illegal working!!!
These are the people who come here and claim all our benefits aren't they? Working!!! sorry the government says NO WORKING for these people.
Point 5... Yeh why not cut out the middle man this will really expose the ILLEGAL WORKERS!
oops! I think the crime levels might rise though, everyone needs to eat.
Point6....Data sharing, well it may seem surprising but when someone is here illegally, i.e. their story about maybe seeing their family killed or having been gang raped by malicia is not believed, they have to report to a centre on a monthly basis so the police, customs and the Home Office know where they are.
Point7...The integration loan. This as I understand it was offered to people to help them integrate back into their own countries. It was introduced to help them maybe set up small businesses or access education on return but oddly enough very few seem to have accessed it. Perhaps living in the UK in poverty was more appealing who knows.
Point8.... Extend the detention inspection regime to cover escort arrangements.
I'm not sure what this means except reports say that most detention centres for these people are unsatisfactory with a very high level of suicide, and unsuitable arrangements for children.
In relation to escorts, beatings, rapes and mental abuse have all been reported by people who have gone for deportation but been so distressed that the airlines refused to carry them.

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