This & that

[juliet]

The Home Office now stopping people in the street on the basis of their race (& note also that they want to stop benefits/housing for failed asylum seekers with small kids, as well. So we're getting rid of them by starving their children, are we? Fantastic).

And a less depressing link:
the Underground turned upside-down (picked this up off someone else a couple of weeks ago).

Hunt Bill being discussed today. Thumbs crossed...

Interesting site showing current US voting polls - bit depressing atm, though.

I don't think I have any US readers who are currently overseas, or indeed any US readers at all, but just in case: register online for overseas/absentee ballot.

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

The US election link just proved how immature I really am: I collapsed into giggles when I saw the key at the side saying "Barely Bush" and "Weak Bush" as delicate shades of pink. Such a child *shakes head, still giggling*

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Of course, to those of us not on the Dark Side the Underground link is as depressing as the rest of that.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

And what has Commission for Racial Equality chief Trevor Phillips had to say about this? Er...could it be so far nothing?

Failed asylum seekers with small children (or ill, crippled, old, unable to work because barred by UK law from doing so) are already barred from housing and benefits, but there is a patchwork of obscure laws which keep them from destitution *if* they know about them, and the Government is busy trying to close all those loophles atm as well. lilithmagna spends every working day trying to stop them and usually succeeding, but it takes its toll on her personal life.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Except that if they have young children then removing support for them from housing authorities and benefits authorities will just mean that they have to be housed and supported by social services authorities. Can you guess which one of those three things we are...

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

...and lo, just as I press the post button, I get a twenty-minute call from a member of the public who is never voting Labour again because we're soft on asylum blah blah blah.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

If they were claiming asylum though, they weren't illegal when they immigrated. Personally though, I'm perfectly happy with finding a practical way of taking them from a failure at the final determination of their claim straight to the airport. I fear, however, my views on law and order might be flamewar central round here.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

I am not going to start a flamewar in Juliet's journal, but I would like to given what you have said. Would you care to p[ost in your own journal so we can discuss?

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

I don't especially want a flamewar there.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

They are *not* illegal immigrants, owing to the existence of several internatioinal human rights conventions to which the UK is a signatory, and the standard of decision making on asylum claims is extremely poor. Not to mention the legacy of British imperialism which in most cases has caused the situation they are fleeing from.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

They are *not* illegal immigrants

That's what I said. Thank you for agreeing.

the standard of decision making on asylum claims is extremely poor.

Nonetheless, we have a process which makes the decisions, it seems a rather expensive and pointless rigmarole if we then plan to ignore it because it might be wrong.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

Are you serious?

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

As indeed they should be. I pay my Council Tax and I dont want those fleeing persecution to be destitute and homeless in the UK, a counrtry whose wealth grew out of ruthless imperialist exploitation of the rest of the world.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Fine, unfortunately my job involves spending much of my days talking to council tax payers, and as far as they are concerned, the people we are discussing have claimed to be fleeing persecution, have been found not to be fleeing persecution, and are therefore in effect fraudsters.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

I.am.a.Council.Tax.payer.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

Fraud involves an intention to deceive. I worked in immigration law for many years and my partner has done so for nearly 10 years. Neither of us have any naive idealism left. We have met less than a handful of "bogus" asylum seekers. The Home Office and the Courts interpret the Convention definition of refugee as narrowly as possible, so that for example asylum seekers fleeing the well documented chaos in Somalia (not going to go into the imperialist history here, but there sure is one) do not receive refugee status although they are usually given exceptional leave to remain in the UK lawfully. On the face of it though the claims for asylum of those given exceptional leave to remain have failed and are recorded as such. Those who do not fit the narrowly construed definition of refugee in the vast majority of cases genuinely believe their lives are in danger in the countries they have fled from, as the Home Office and Courts freely admit.

[editor.livejournal.com]

Interesting site showing current US voting polls - bit depressing atm, though.

It is, but Kerry only needs to swing the "barely Bush" states to "barely Kerry" to romp home. In fact, just Pennsylvania and Missouri would be enough.

Personally I'm utterly baffled to see Kerry allow this to happen. I really don't understand why he doesn't appear to be campaigning at all. Even just the odd optimistic soundbite would be better than this.

My hope is that he's just biding his time, waiting till the last minute to nail the lies and failures of that grinning cunt once and for all. But I have to admit that's a hope rather than an expectation.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Snaahrhar. Barely Bush. Still giggling!

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

I'm hopefully registered to vote in Pennsylvania!

I'll try registering on that site as well as I don't trust the post at all.

[waves little US flag]

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

That's a swing state - cast that vote with pride!

[conflux.livejournal.com]

Lets hope they count it this time.

[tla]

Hey, I'm a US reader who will be overseas in November, anyway. :) Going to check on my registration in person next week.

It's very depressing

[webcowgirl.livejournal.com]

My vote won't count as my state is already voting blue. Yea Washington!

We had a very joking discussion with the Streathamites about working the marriage laws to all get them legal to vote, but alas, it would take too long for them to be able to have an impact in the US. And as you can see, moving to Florida just to vote would be (windy) very unpleasant!

[the23.livejournal.com]

i'm registered to vote in oregon (as well as the uk - nice), but i won't be voting for bush or kerry. i'll be proud to vote for michael badnarik. i wish there would be a candidate halfway as decent when i next use my proxy vote in the uk, but that is hugely unlikely.

check out www.badnarik.org

as far as the result is concerned kerry may win oregon (a supposed swinger), but i'd be very surprised if he wins overall. i find it very difficult to come up with a preference between the two candidates. the democrats made such an awful choice. the bloke isn't willing to show any coherence whatsoever on the main issue at hand. i don't see ohio and pennsylvania (the states i used to live in) buying his bullshit whatever they (largely incorrectly) think that bush has done to their economies.