As the Walton Prison refugees hunger strike ended and a new one started in Cardiff, the UN has condemned the British Government for its policy of jailing refugees. Britain is the only country in Europe to throw refugees into jail on entry. According to head of the UN Human Rights Committee in Britain, "We don't believe they should be held in jail at all, let alone treated as criminals....it's shameful and the government should end the practice immediately." The Independant on Sunday has gathered evidence of racism, brutality and arbitrary punishment used against asylum seekers, many who are on restricted regimes and locked up for more than 20 hrs per day..
Meanwhile, the Blair government is making further plans to criminalise refugees. Jeff Rooker, the immigration minister has ordered the police to launch a new drive to remove people whose asylum claims have been refused. Rooker has made it clear that the police will have a new role in the targeting of refugees to allow the government to meet its performance indicator of 2,500 deportations per month. Civil Servants from the Immigration Nationality Department have also been given new powers to stop and search suspected immigrants without the police being present. First they came for the refugees......

Click here for a statement from Merseyside Against Detention MAD