92-649: 51°29′02″N 0°29′02″W / 51.484°N 0.484°W / 51.484; -0.484 Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre is an immigration detention facility in Harmondsworth , London Borough of Hillingdon , near London Heathrow Airport run by Mitie . Harmondsworth, which neighbours the Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre . It holds around 620 men. In 2006, Anne Owers HM Inspector of Prisons (HMIP) reported that Harmondsworth "had been allowed to slip into
184-414: A United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (established 1993) and an International Criminal Court (established 2002). Amnesty continued to work on a wide range of issues and world events. For example, South African groups joined in 1992 and hosted a visit by Pierre Sané to meet with the apartheid government to press for an investigation into allegations of police abuse, an end to arms sales to
276-913: A "ploy to divert attention" from their activities which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws. Amnesty International received permission only once in Dec 2000, since then it had been denied Foreign Contribution permission under the Foreign Contribution Act by successive Governments. However, in order to circumvent the FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to four entities registered in India by classifying it as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi , has been criticized by foreign medias for harming civil society in India, specifically by targeting advocacy groups. India has cancelled
368-717: A "toxic culture" of workplace bullying , and found evidence of bullying , harassment , sexism and racism , after being asked to investigate the suicides of 30-year Amnesty veteran Gaetan Mootoo in Paris in May 2018 (who left a note citing work pressures), and 28-year-old intern Rosalind McGregor in Geneva in July 2018. In April 2019, Amnesty International's deputy director for research in Europe, Massimo Moratti, warned that if extradited to
460-568: A 30% VAT reduction. Ten other closed detention camps were planned as of 2019. Since 6 March 1998 (law n.40/1998, aka the Turco - Napolitano law ), the irregular immigrants whose asylum request had been denied were interned into "Provisional Stay Centers" ( Italian : Centri di Permanenza Temporanea , CPT), pending their expulsion from Italy. Since 30 July 2002, the Bossi - Fini law (law n. 189/2002) made illegal entry and stay on Italian territory
552-404: A December 2018 filing by Saudi dissident Omar Abdulaziz, who claimed NSO's software targeted his phone during a period in which he was in regular contact with murdered journalist Jamal Kashoggi . In September 2019, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen created the new position of "Vice President for Protecting our European Way of Life ", who will be responsible for upholding
644-606: A briefing 26 Nov, during which he discussed other acts of terrorism. In August 2020, Amnesty International expressed concerns about what it called the "widespread torture of peaceful protesters" and treatment of detainees in Belarus. The organization also said that more than 1,100 people were killed by bandits in rural communities in northern Nigeria during the first six months of 2020. Amnesty International investigated what it called "excessive" and "unlawful" killings of teenagers by Angolan police who were enforcing restrictions during
736-717: A country. Some countries have set a maximum period of detention, while others permit indefinite detention . In the United States , a similar practice began in the early 1980s with Haitians and Cubans detained at Guantanamo Bay , and other groups such as Chinese in jails and detention centres on the mainland. The practice was made mandatory by legislation passed in 1996 in response to the Oklahoma City bombing , and has come under criticism from organizations such as Amnesty International , Human Rights Watch , Human Rights First , all of whom have released major studies of
828-410: A criminal offence. Centers interned both people already sanctioned to expulsion (as before) and other irregular immigrants pending their proper identification and the individual evaluation of their asylum requests. Accordingly, since 23 May 2008 (law n.125/2008), they were renamed as "Identification and Expulsion Centers" ( Italian : Centri di Identificazione ed Espulsione , CIE). Since 13 April 2017,
920-555: A culture and approach which was wholly at odds with its stated purpose" further "It is essentially a problem of management, and it is of some concern that this had not been fully identified and resolved earlier by the contractor and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate ." In January 2008, the Chief Inspector and her team conducted an unannounced inspection and found significant improvements had been implemented since
1012-420: A number of foreign nationals who had committed crimes and had not been deported at the end of their sentence. Criticism of UK immigration detention focuses on comparisons with prison conditions in which persons are kept though they have never been convicted of a crime, the lack of judicial oversight , and on the lengthy bureaucratic delays that often prevent a person from being released, particularly when there
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#17327726427161104-460: A number of reasons. The largest category of detainees is people who have claimed asylum. Other people include those detained awaiting determination of their right to entry to the UK, people who have been refused permission to enter and are awaiting removal, people who have overstayed the expiry of their visas or have not complied with their visa terms, and people lacking the required documentation to live in
1196-804: A prison sentence which has expired. There are also four short term holding facilities in Manchester , Dover , Harwich and Colnbrook . The British government has been given powers to detain asylum seekers and migrants at any stage of the asylum process. The use of asylum has increased with the introduction of the process of 'fast track', or the procedure by which the Immigration Service assess asylum claims which are capable of being decided quickly. Fast-tracking takes place in Oakington Reception Centre, Harmondsworth, and Yarl's Wood. There are three situations in which it
1288-538: A prominent representative at the United Nations , had "undeclared private links to men alleged to be key players in a secretive network of global Islamists ", including the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas . The Times also detailed instances where Hussein was alleged to have had inappropriately close relationships with the al-Qazzaz family, members of which were high-ranking government ministers in
1380-736: A response to the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s arrest and prosecution of Chen Yu-hsi, whom the Taiwan Garrison Command had alleged committed sedition by reading communist literature while studying in the United States. In 1976, Amnesty's British Section started a series of fund-raising events that came to be known as The Secret Policeman's Balls series. They were staged in London initially as comedy galas featuring what The Daily Telegraph called "the crème de la crème of
1472-526: A toast to liberty". Researchers have never traced the alleged newspaper article in question. In 1960, Portugal was ruled by the Estado Novo government of António de Oliveira Salazar . The government was authoritarian in nature and strongly anti-communist , suppressing enemies of the state as anti-Portuguese. In his significant newspaper article " The Forgotten Prisoners ", Benenson later described his reaction as follows: Open your newspaper any day of
1564-484: Is lawful to detain an asylum seeker or migrant. Once detained, it is possible to apply for bail. There is legal aid for representation at bail hearings and the organisation Bail for Immigration Detainees provides help and assistance for those subject to detention to represent themselves. Since summer 2005, there has been an increase in the detention of foreign nationals since Home Secretary Charles Clarke 's foreign prisoners scandal , which revealed that there were
1656-499: Is no evidence that the detainee will present a harm or a burden to society if allowed to remain at large while their situation is examined. In 2006, the conditions of detention centres were criticised, by the UK Inspector of Prisons . Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI ) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights , with its headquarters in
1748-580: Is the Federal care center east in Traiskirchen . In late 2019, Greece 's liberal-conservative government of New Democracy , led by Kyriakos Mitsotakis , announced the creation of five closed, pre-departure detention centers for refugees and immigrants, located on the Aegean islands of Leros , Chios , Lesvos , Kos , and Samos . Hosting over 20,000 immigrants, the islands will be compensated with
1840-492: Is the policy of holding individuals suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorized arrival , as well as those subject to deportation and removal until a decision is made by immigration authorities to grant a visa and release them into the community, or to repatriate them to their country of departure. Mandatory detention refers to the practice of compulsorily detaining or imprisoning people who are considered to be illegal immigrants or unauthorized arrivals into
1932-588: The Minniti - Orlando (law n. 46/2017) renamed the centers again, as "Permanence Centers for Repatriations" ( Italian : Centri di Permanenza per i Rimpatri , CPR). It was planned to activate 20 CPRs, but by 2018, only the following CPRs were operational: The facility of Caltanissetta (for 96 male inmates) was provisionally inoperative, pending extensive repairs after an inmates revolt. Works were undergoing to open further CPRs at Gradisca d'Isonzo , Modena , Macomer , Oppido Mamertina and Montichiari . Besides
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#17327726427162024-569: The African Great Lakes region and the abolition of the death penalty. In particular, Amnesty International brought attention to violations committed on specific groups, including refugees , racial/ethnic/religious minorities, women and those executed or on Death Row . In 1995, when AI wanted to promote how Shell Oil Company was involved with the execution of an environmental and human-rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa in Nigeria, it
2116-776: The Indian National Congress (INC) government was in power. In 2011 the Congress government set up three more camps. In 2018 and onwards the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) government has plans to build more camps across India. Japanese immigration law permits indefinite detention without a court order including for those that overstay and those who seek asylum. Three immigration detention centers are maintained by immigration bureau for long-term detainees: Additionally, 16 regional detention houses are managed for short-term detention. However, many of
2208-519: The Metropolitan Police . Lord Hoffman had an indirect connection with Amnesty International, and this led to an important test for the appearance of bias in legal proceedings in UK law. There was a suit against the decision to release Senator Pinochet, taken by the then British Home Secretary Jack Straw, before that decision had actually been taken, in an attempt to prevent the release of Senator Pinochet. The English High Court refused
2300-574: The Obama Administration pledged to overhaul the current immigration detention system and transform it into one that is less punitive and subject to greater federal oversight. Immigrants' rights advocates expressed concern over Obama 's reform efforts. Immigrants' rights advocates believe the all current immigration policies "have been undermined by the Immigration agency's continued overreliance on penal incarceration practices and by
2392-815: The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine , responsible to the President . The British Home Office has a number of detention centres, including (as of January 2015 ): 11 designated Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), 4 designated Residential and Short Term Holding Facilities, and 1 Non-Residential Short Term Holding Facility. Four of the IRCs are managed by the Prison Service and the others are outsourced to private companies including Mitie , GEO Group , G4S Group , and Serco . Individuals can be detained under Immigration Act powers for
2484-530: The Texas–Mexico border. During the five years between 2003 and 2008, about 104 mostly young individuals died in detention of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or shortly afterwards, and medical neglect may have contributed to 30 of those deaths. For example, on 6 August 2008, 34-year-old New Yorker Hiu Lui Ng died in the detention of ICE. Editors at The New York Times condemned
2576-413: The "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961" and September 1962 the organization had been known simply as "Amnesty". By the mid-1960s, Amnesty International's global presence was growing and an International Secretariat and International Executive Committee were established to manage Amnesty International's national organizations, called "Sections", which had appeared in several countries. They were secretly supported by
2668-680: The 1970s, under the leadership of Seán MacBride and Martin Ennals , to include miscarriages of justice and torture . In 1977, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . In the 1980s, its secretary general was Thomas Hammarberg , succeeded in the 1990s by Pierre Sané . In the 2000s, it was led by Irene Khan . Amnesty draws attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international laws and standards. It works to mobilize public opinion to generate pressure on governments where abuse takes place. Amnesty International
2760-531: The Australian government announced it was ending its policy of automatic detention for asylum seekers who arrive in the country without visas. However, by September 2012, offshore detention was reinstated. Following the 2013 Australian federal election policies have been toughened and Operation Sovereign Borders has been launched. The first immigration detention centre in Assam state had come up in 2008 when
2852-544: The British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament as well as becoming head of Quaker Peace and Social Witness . In his memoirs, Benenson described him as "a partner in the launching of the project". In consultation with other writers, academics and lawyers and, in particular, Alec Digges, they wrote via Louis Blom-Cooper to David Astor , editor of The Observer newspaper, who, on 28 May 1961, published Benenson's article "The Forgotten Prisoners". The article brought
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2944-605: The British comedy world" including members of comedy troupe Monty Python , and later expanded to also include performances by leading rock musicians. The series was created and developed by Monty Python alumnus John Cleese and entertainment industry executive Martin Lewis working closely with Amnesty staff members Peter Luff (assistant director of Amnesty 1974–1978) and subsequently with Peter Walker (Amnesty Fund-Raising Officer 1978–1982). Cleese, Lewis and Luff worked together on
3036-727: The British government at the time. The international movement was starting to agree on its core principles and techniques. For example, the issue of whether or not to adopt prisoners who had advocated violence, like Nelson Mandela , brought unanimous agreement that it could not give the name of "Prisoner of Conscience" to such prisoners. Aside from the work of the library and groups, Amnesty International's activities were expanding to helping prisoners' families, sending observers to trials, making representations to governments, and finding asylum or overseas employment for prisoners. Its activity and influence were also increasing within intergovernmental organizations; it would be awarded consultative status by
3128-553: The CPRs, in Italy there are two other types of not-detention centers for the migrants: In 2002 and the following years, Malta began to receive a large influx of migrants. The government then begun to apply the 1970 Chapter 217 of the Laws of Malta ( Immigration Act ), providing for detention for all "prohibited migrants", including prospective asylum seekers , soon after apprehension by
3220-494: The Enforcement Directorate has said the investigation could take three months to complete. On 30 October 2018, Amnesty called for the arrest and prosecution of Nigerian security forces claiming that they used excessive force against Shi'a protesters during a peaceful religious procession around Abuja, Nigeria. At least 45 were killed and 122 were injured during the event. In November 2018, Amnesty reported
3312-586: The IHCs are full, there is no centres in their region, or the detainee's file has a link to criminality. As of 2020, Canada has three IHCs, each facility with different ownership and operations: There is no maximum limit to the length of detention, and children may be "housed" in IHCs to prevent the separation of families. Detainees can include: asylum seekers without sufficient amount of necessary identification papers , foreign workers whose visas had expired, and people awaiting deportation. In 2017, Canada received
3404-735: The Netherlands is criticised for the circumstances immigrants are held in, which is often worse than that of criminal detainees, especially because of the lack of probationary leave, rehabilitation assistance, legal assistance, laws restricting the maximum detention time and a maximum time for judicial review from a judge. In Portugal , the Ministry of Interior is responsible for immigration matters. The country currently has one officially designated immigration detention centre, Unidade Habitacional de Santo António , located in Porto . Opened in 2006,
3496-738: The Portuguese Council for Asylum Seekers ( Conselho Português para os Refugiados , CPR) and the Pedro Arupe reception centre managed by the Jesuit Refugee Service . There are nine detention centers in Spain , known as CIEs ( Centro de Internamiento de Extranjeros ), run by the Ministry of the Interior , which can be found in the cities of Madrid , Barcelona , Valencia , Algeciras , Tarifa , Malaga , and in
3588-556: The Treatment of Prisoners and of existing humanitarian conventions; to secure ratifications of the two UN Covenants on Human Rights in 1976, and was instrumental in obtaining additional instruments and provisions forbidding the practice of maltreatment. Consultative status was granted at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 1972. Amnesty International established its Japan chapter in 1970, in part
3680-672: The U.N. Human Rights Council is at stake. Since joining the council, Saudi Arabia's dire human rights record at home has continued to deteriorate and the coalition it leads has unlawfully killed and injured thousands of civilians in the conflict in Yemen ." In December 2016, Amnesty International revealed that Voiceless Victims , a fake non-profit organization which claims to raise awareness for migrant workers who are victims of human rights abuses in Qatar , had been trying to spy on their staff. In October 2018, an Amnesty International researcher
3772-516: The UK. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 formally changed the name of "detention centres" to "removal centres". Both operation centres ran by G4S Group (as of 2018. Since 2020 both centres have been run by Serco) are located near Gatwick Airport : Operation centres ran by Mitie (as of 2018) include: Other operation centres (as of 2018) include: Additionally, some prisons detain migrants or asylum seekers purely under Immigration Act powers, usually if they have been serving
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3864-1275: The UN to act promptly to implement the mission's recommendations. In February 2010, Amnesty suspended Gita Sahgal , its gender unit head, after she criticized Amnesty for its links with Moazzam Begg , director of Cageprisoners . She said it was "a gross error of judgment" to work with "Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban". Amnesty responded that Sahgal was not suspended "for raising these issues internally... [Begg] speaks about his own views ..., not Amnesty International's". Among those who spoke up for Sahgal were Salman Rushdie , Member of Parliament Denis MacShane , Joan Smith , Christopher Hitchens , Martin Bright , Melanie Phillips , and Nick Cohen . In July 2011, Amnesty International celebrated its 50 years with an animated short film directed by Carlos Lascano , produced by Eallin Motion Art and Dreamlife Studio, with music by Academy Award-winner Hans Zimmer and nominee Lorne Balfe. In August 2012, Amnesty International's chief executive in India sought an impartial investigation, led by
3956-635: The US government's detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba , to a Soviet Gulag . During the first half of the new decade, Amnesty International turned its attention to violence against women , controls on the world arms trade , concerns surrounding the effectiveness of the UN, and ending torture. With its membership close to two million by 2005, Amnesty continued to work for prisoners of conscience. In 2007, AI's executive committee decided to support access to abortion "within reasonable gestational limits...for women in cases of rape, incest or violence, or where
4048-613: The United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and supporters around the world. The stated mission of the organization is to campaign for "a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments ." The organization has played a notable role on human rights issues due to its frequent citation in media and by world leaders. AI
4140-534: The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), played a series of concerts on five continents over six weeks. Both tours featured some of the most famous musicians and bands of the day. Throughout the 1990s, Amnesty continued to grow, to a membership of over seven million in over 150 countries and territories, led by Senegalese Secretary General Pierre Sané . At the intergovernmental level, Amnesty International argued in favour of creating
4232-513: The United Nations, the Council of Europe and UNESCO before the decade ended. In 1966, Benenson suspected that the British government in collusion with some Amnesty employees had suppressed a report on British atrocities in Aden. He began to suspect that many of his colleagues were part of a British intelligence conspiracy to subvert Amnesty, but he could not convince anybody else at AI. Later in
4324-606: The United Nations, to render justice to those affected by war crimes in Sri Lanka. On 18 August 2014, in the wake of demonstrations sparked by people protesting about the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown , an unarmed 18-year-old who assaulted a police officer and then resisted arrest, and subsequent acquittal of Darren Wilson, the officer who shot him, Amnesty International sent a 13-person contingent of human rights activists to seek meetings with officials as well as to train local activists in non-violent protest methods. This
4416-784: The United States, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would face the "risk of serious human rights violations, namely detention conditions, which could violate the prohibition of torture". On 14 May 2019, Amnesty International filed a petition with the District Court of Tel Aviv, Israel, seeking a revocation of the export licence of surveillance technology firm NSO Group . The filing states that "staff of Amnesty International have an ongoing and well-founded fear they may continue to be targeted and ultimately surveilled" by NSO technology. Other lawsuits have also been filed against NSO in Israeli courts over alleged human-rights abuses, including
4508-669: The administration of Mohammed Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leaders at the time. Ms Hussein denied supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and told Amnesty that "any connections are purely circumstantial". In June 2016, Amnesty International called on the United Nations General Assembly to "immediately suspend" Saudi Arabia from the UN Human Rights Council . Richard Bennett, head of Amnesty's UN Office, said: "The credibility of
4600-538: The application, and Senator Pinochet was released and returned to Chile. After 2000, Amnesty International's primary focus turned to the challenges arising from globalization and the reaction to the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States. The issue of globalization provoked a major shift in Amnesty International policy, as the scope of its work was widened to include economic, social and cultural rights, an area that it had declined to work on in
4692-618: The arrest of 19 or more rights activists and lawyers in Egypt . The arrests were made by the Egyptian authorities as part of the regime's ongoing crackdown on dissent. One of the arrested was Hoda Abdel-Monaim, a 60-year-old human rights lawyer and former member of the National Council for Human Rights. Amnesty reported that following the arrests Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) decided to suspend its activities due to
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#17327726427164784-536: The authority and capabilities of government leaders. Aakar Patel, the executive director of the Indian branch claimed, "The Enforcement Directorate's raid on our office today shows how the authorities are now treating human rights organizations like criminal enterprises, using heavy-handed methods. On Sep 29, the Ministry of Home Affairs said Amnesty International using "glossy statements" about humanitarian work etc. as
4876-598: The centre is managed by the Foreigners and Borders Service ( Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras , SEF). There are also five Temporary Installation Centres ( Centros de Instalação Temporária , CIT) located in each major airport, including that of Porto , Lisbon , Faro , Funchal , and Ponta Delgada . Besides this government-led places, in Lisbon there is the Bobadela reception centre for asylum seekers run by
4968-581: The collapse of the Twin Towers in New York." In the years following the attacks, some believe that the gains made by human rights organizations over previous decades had possibly been eroded. Amnesty International argued that human rights were the basis for the security of all, not a barrier to it. Criticism came directly from the Bush administration and The Washington Post , when Khan, in 2005, likened
5060-643: The community. The long-term detention of immigrant children has also sparked criticism of the practice by citizen's groups such as ChilOut and human rights organizations. Nonetheless, the High Court of Australia has confirmed, by the majority, the constitutionality of indefinite mandatory detention of aliens. This and related decisions have been the subject of considerable academic critique. Australia has also sub-contracted with other nations to detain would-be immigrants offshore, including Indonesia , Papua New Guinea , and Nauru . Australia also maintains an offshore detention facility on Christmas Island . In July 2008,
5152-442: The coronavirus pandemic. In May 2020, the organization raised concerns about security flaws in a COVID-19 contact tracing app mandated in Qatar . In September 2020, Amnesty shut down its India operations after the government froze its bank accounts due to alleged financial irregularities. On 2 November 2020, Amnesty International reported that 54 people – mostly Amhara women and children and elderly people – were killed by
5244-466: The death and urged that the system must be fixed. ICE has stated that the number of deaths per capita in detention is dramatically lower for ICE detainees than for US prison and jail populations, that they provide "the best possible healthcare" and that the nation as a whole is "experiencing severe shortages of qualified health professionals." In May 2008 Congress began considering a bill to set new standards for immigrant detainee healthcare. In 2009,
5336-482: The deaths of more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. The 117-page Amnesty report charged Israeli forces with killing hundreds of civilians and wanton destruction of thousands of homes. Amnesty found evidence of Israeli soldiers using Palestinian civilians as human shields. A subsequent United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict was carried out; Amnesty stated that its findings were consistent with those of Amnesty's own field investigation, and called on
5428-431: The detention authorities. The build-up to reopening had provided space to work with staff to change the culture and approach of the centre. However, managers were aware, and this inspection confirmed, that there was still more to do before the centre expanded to full capacity. Negative staff attitudes had been effectively challenged... Several detainees have committed suicide while held in Harmondsworth. Robertas Grabys
5520-426: The director of Amnesty, said, "Social media re-energises the idea of the global citizen". James M. Russell notes how the drive for profit from private media sources conflicts with the stories that AI wants to be heard. Amnesty International became involved in the legal battle over Augusto Pinochet , former Chilean dictator, who sought to avoid extradition to Spain to face charges after his arrest in London in 1998 by
5612-430: The first two shows (1976 and 1977). Cleese, Lewis and Walker worked together on the 1979 and 1981 shows, the first to carry what The Daily Telegraph described as the "rather brilliantly re-christened" Secret Policeman's Ball title. The organization was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its "defence of human dignity against torture " and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978. During
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#17327726427165704-421: The grounds that it was bugged and infiltrated by the secret services, and said that he could no longer live in a country where such activities were tolerated. (See Relationship with the British Government ) Amnesty International's membership increased from 15,000 in 1969 to 200,000 by 1979. At the intergovernmental level Amnesty International pressed for the application of the UN's Standard Minimum Rules for
5796-646: The highest number of asylum claims in its history; between 2017 and 2018, 6609 people were detained in holding centres, compared to 4,248 a year prior. Between April 2019 and March 2020, CBSA detained 8,825 people, including 138 minors (mostly with a detained parent)—almost 2,000 of these detainees were kept in provincial jails. However, as of November 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic , there were only 94 immigration detainees in provincial jails, 12 in Laval IHC, 18 in Greater Toronto IHC, and 11 in British Columbia IHC. Most Asian states imprison immigrants on visa violations or for alleged trafficking , including
5888-443: The hostile environment towards civil society in the country. On 5 December 2018, Amnesty International strongly condemned the execution of the leaders of the " black realtors " gang Ihar Hershankou and Siamion Berazhnoy in Belarus . They were shot despite UN Human Rights Committee request for a delay. In February 2019, Amnesty International's management team offered to resign after an independent report found what it called
5980-447: The immigration authorities. In 2003, the Maltese government substituted the indefinite detention policy with an 18-month detention length (the maximum under EU law ) after which the applicant is transferred to an open centre if the processing of his/her application has not been finished. The Maltese detention policy, the strictest in Europe, gathered heavy criticism by the UNHCR for the extensive duration of detention, and in 2004 it
6072-474: The islands of Gran Canaria , Fuerteventura , and Tenerife . Expulsion paperwork can be initiated when a foreign person is in one of the following situations: Various civil organizations (e.g. APDHA , SOS Racismo , and Andalucía Acoge) have appealed to the Supreme Court of Spain , declaring the regulations behind the CIEs null and void for violating several human rights. In Ukraine "Temporary Detention Centres", including one in Pavshyno , are run by
6164-478: The last inspection. The Inspection of January 2008 indicated the change programme that was taking place. An extract from the executive summary of the Chief Inspector of Prisons states: ‘'All those met – both staff and detainees – recognised the change that had taken place under the new management. This was confirmed by the evidence of the inspection, which showed improvement in all of our four key areas – safety, respect, purposeful activity and resettlement – though there
6256-624: The launch of "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961", the aim of which was to mobilize public opinion, quickly and widely, in defence of these individuals, whom Benenson named "Prisoners of Conscience". The "Appeal for Amnesty" was reprinted by a large number of international newspapers. In the same year, Benenson had a book published, Persecution 1961 , which detailed the cases of nine prisoners of conscience investigated and compiled by Benenson and Baker (Maurice Audin, Ashton Jones , Agostinho Neto , Patrick Duncan , Olga Ivinskaya , Luis Taruc , Constantin Noica , Antonio Amat and Hu Feng ). In July 1961,
6348-410: The leadership had decided that the appeal would form the basis of a permanent organization, Amnesty, with the first meeting taking place in London. Benenson ensured that all three major political parties were represented, enlisting members of parliament from the Labour Party , the Conservative Party , and the Liberal Party . On 30 September 1962, it was officially named "Amnesty International". Between
6440-417: The long-term detainees have been detained in regional short-term detention houses that lack facilities such as common rooms and recreational area. Some detainees spend significant time (up to 13 days) in isolation due to disciplinary measures. Practices of immigration bureau has been criticized for the "lack of transparency", "indefinite detention" and its "arbitrary" nature. The largest facility in Austria
6532-409: The mid-to-late-1980s, Amnesty organized two major musical events took place to increase awareness of Amnesty and of human rights. The 1986 Conspiracy of Hope tour, which played five concerts in the US, and culminated in a daylong show, featuring some thirty-odd acts at Giants Stadium, and the 1988 Human Rights Now! world tour. Human Rights Now!, which was timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of
6624-455: The migrants detention policy nevertheless, justifying it in 2005 by "national interest, and more specifically, for reasons concerning employment, accommodation and maintenance of public order." In 2008, an EP - OIM comparative study found that "following a long stay in detention [illegal immigrants] are then released into the community...joining the black market economy and suffering abuse with regard to conditions of work. The detention policy
6716-493: The past. Amnesty International felt this shift was important, not just to give credence to its principle of the indivisibility of rights, but because of what it saw as the growing power of companies and the undermining of many nation-states as a result of globalization. In the aftermath of 11 September attacks, the new Amnesty International Secretary General, Irene Khan , reported that a senior government official had said to Amnesty International delegates: "Your role collapsed with
6808-735: The pervasive anti-reform culture at local ICE field offices." In Canada, immigration detainees are held in Immigration Holding Centres (IHCs), known as Le centre de surveillance de l'immigration (CSI) in French, under the auspices of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), who are granted such authority through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Immigration detainees may also be kept in provincial jails, either because
6900-736: The pregnancy jeopardizes a mother's life or health". Amnesty International reported, concerning the Iraq War , on 17 March 2008, that despite claims the security situation in Iraq has improved in recent months, the human rights situation is disastrous, after the start of the war five years earlier in 2003. In 2009, Amnesty International accused Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement of committing war crimes during Israel's January offensive in Gaza, called Operation Cast Lead , that resulted in
6992-483: The reader's attention to those "imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government" or, put another way, to violations, by governments, of articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The article described these violations occurring, on a global scale, in the context of restrictions to press freedom, to political oppositions, to timely public trial before impartial courts, and to asylum. It marked
7084-548: The registration of about 15,000 nongovernmental organizations under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA); the U.N. has issued statements against the policies that allow these cancellations to occur. Though nothing was found to confirm these accusations, the government plans on continuing the investigation and has frozen the bank accounts of all the offices in India . A spokesperson for
7176-560: The rule-of-law, internal security and migration. Amnesty International accused the European Union of "using the framing of the far right" by linking migration with security. On 24 November 2019, Anil Raj , a former Amnesty International board member, was killed by a car bomb while working with the United Nations Development Project. U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo announced Raj's death at
7268-401: The same year, there were further allegations, when the US government reported that Seán MacBride , the former Irish foreign minister and Amnesty's first chairman, had been involved with a Central Intelligence Agency funding operation. MacBride denied knowledge of the funding, but Benenson became convinced that MacBride was a member of a CIA network. Benenson resigned as Amnesty's president on
7360-692: The subject, and the American Civil Liberties Union . As of 2010, about 31,000 non-citizens were held in immigration detention on any given day, including children, in over 200 detention centres, jails, and prisons nationwide. The T. Don Hutto Residential Center opened in 2006 specifically to house non-criminal families. There are other significant facilities in Elizabeth, New Jersey , Oakdale, Louisiana , Florence, Arizona , Miami, Florida , Seattle , York, Pennsylvania , Batavia, New York , Aguadilla, Puerto Rico , and all along
7452-618: The victims of trafficking and smuggling. These include Singapore , Malaysia , and Indonesia . In Australia , mandatory immigration detention was adopted in 1992 for all non-citizens who arrive in Australia without a visa. That only 'border applicants' are subject to detention has sparked criticism, as it is claimed to unfairly discriminate against certain migrants. Other unlawful non-citizens, such as those that overstay their visas, are generally granted bridging visas while their applications are processed, and are therefore free to move around
7544-529: The week and you will find a story from somewhere of someone being imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government... The newspaper reader feels a sickening sense of impotence. Yet if these feelings of disgust could be united into common action, something effective could be done. Benenson worked with his friend Eric Baker – a member of the Religious Society of Friends who had been involved in funding
7636-618: Was abducted and beaten while observing demonstrations in Magas, the capital of Ingushetia, Russia. On 25 October, federal officers raided the Bengaluru office for 10 hours on a suspicion that the organization had violated foreign direct investment guidelines on the orders of the Enforcement Directorate . Employees and supporters of Amnesty International say this is an act to intimidate organizations and people who question
7728-630: Was also criticized by the Commissioner for Human Rights of Council of Europe , Álvaro Gil-Robles , as international standards required cautious and individual examination of each case and proper legal checks before incarceration, which were missing in the Maltese legislation. The Council of Europe also criticised four of the administrative detention centres as in "deplorable conditions" and failing to live up to legally binding international standards The Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs pursued
7820-980: Was criticised, in the following years, by NGOs and international bodies, including Human Rights Watch , the Jesuits and UNHCR . In 2012, the Council of Europe reiterated that such a policy is contrary to the prohibition of arbitrary detention in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In the Netherlands , foreigners who fail to obtain a residence status can be detained prior to deportation, as to prevent them from avoiding deportation. Detention centers are located in Zaandam , Zeist , and Alphen aan den Rijn . Besides these detention centers there are deportation centers in Schiphol and Rotterdam (at Rotterdam Airport ). Immigration detention in
7912-538: Was found hanged in 2000, Sergey Barnuyck was found hanged in 2004, and Bereket Yohannes was found hanged in 2006. An 84-year-old Canadian with Alzheimer's disease , Alois Dvorzac, died there in January 2014. The Nigerian asylum-seeker Ifa Muaza went on hunger strike in 2013. In April 2015, over 200 detainees joined in a collective hunger-strike, which subsequently spread to Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre . Immigration detention Immigration detention
8004-553: Was founded in London in 1961 by the lawyer Peter Benenson . In what he called "The Forgotten Prisoners" and "An Appeal for Amnesty", which appeared on the front page of the British newspaper The Observer , Benenson wrote about two students who toasted to freedom in Portugal and four other people who had been jailed in other nations because of their beliefs. AI's original focus was prisoners of conscience , with its remit widening in
8096-581: Was founded in London in July 1961 by English barrister Peter Benenson , who had previously been a founding member of the UK law reform organization JUSTICE. Benenson was influenced by his friend Louis Blom-Cooper , who led a political prisoners' campaign. According to Benenson's own account, he was travelling on the London Underground on 19 November 1960 when he read that two Portuguese students from Coimbra had been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in Portugal for allegedly "having drunk
8188-463: Was over the issue of whether it would be appropriate for an anti-racism campaign with a "single focus". The Jewish Chronicle noted that Amnesty International had previously published a report on discrimination against Muslims in Europe. In August 2015, The Times reported that Yasmin Hussein, then Amnesty's director of faith and human rights and previously its head of international advocacy and
8280-438: Was still some way to go to ensure that those changes were firmly embedded and could withstand the expansion of the centre to full capacity. [..] We observed a different attitude and approach from staff. Security in the centre was much less intrusive, and support for detainees in the early days had improved noticeably [...]" Overall, this inspection recorded significant improvement in a centre that has long been of concern to us and
8372-422: Was stopped. Newspapers and advertising companies refused to run AI's ads because Shell Oil was a customer of theirs as well. Shell's main argument was that it was drilling oil in a country that already violated human rights and had no way to enforce human-rights policies. To combat the buzz that AI was trying to create, it immediately publicized how Shell was helping to improve overall life in Nigeria. Salil Shetty ,
8464-425: Was the first time that the organization has deployed such a team to the United States. In the 2015 annual Amnesty International UK conference, delegates narrowly voted (468 votes to 461) against a motion proposing a campaign against antisemitism in the UK. The debate on the motion formed a consensus that Amnesty should fight "discrimination against all ethnic and religious groups", but the division among delegates
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