Britain:
Anti- refugee laws
ON JANUARY 19, 1992 5-10,000 people demonstrated in London against the British government's new Asylum Bill. On the same day several hundred demonstrated in Edinburgh in Scotland. The two demonstrations reflect widespread opposition to the bill even among traditional Conservative supporters. Nevertheless, the bill went through its final reading in Parliament and has now gone to the House of Lords for final approval. FINN JENSEN A T THE London demonstration, left Labour MP Tony Benn condemned the Asylum Bill as being about "building a wealthy Fortress Europe, surrounded by barbed wire, to keep out the poor and oppressed of the Third World". All the speakers warned against the rising tide of racist and fascist attacks and called for unity among antiracist forces. The government accepted various amendments to the bill during its final reading to accommodate criticisms made by immigrant welfare organizations, human rights groups, lawyers and the churches. However, the substance of the Bill has not changed. The main points are:
1. Appeal procedure: The government claims the bill will, for the first time, give a right of appeal to those refused asylum on entering the United Kingdom (UK). However, there will be no automatic right of appeal. Permission will have to be given. Moreover, the existing right to an automatic appeal for asylum seekers already in the country is going to be taken away. Everyone has to seek leave to appeal, within 48 hours in the case of asylum seekers held in detention and within 10 days for those already legally in the country (as visitors, students, and so on).
2. Curtailment of existing leave: If someone is already legally in the UK, for instance as a student or a visitor, and decides to apply for asylum, that person will be liable to have their existing leave curtailed if the asylum application is refused. And if an asylum seeker has made other appeals regarding their stay in the UK all