LONDON (PTI):The British Parliament Jan.12 adopted the controversial Asylum and Immigration appeals bill described by the large ethnic minorities as ‘racist’ and an “‘anti-black family” measure.

The Asylum and Immigration appeals bill seeking to crackdown on Asylum seekers in U_K., but in effect virtually refusing entry to blacks and Asians into the country even as visitors or students, was adopted by 293 to 243 votes. The bill now goes to the House of Lords.

The conservative party government went ahead with the measure ignoring the protest by the ethnic minorities, mainly black and Asian, who lobbied parliament and accused prime minister John Major of trying to erect bureaucratic “barbed wire fence” around the European community to keep out black people and the victims of oppressive regimes.

The bill has been criticized for its provision ending the right of appeal against refusal by an Immigration official to grant entry to the UK as a visitor or prospective student.

A last minute attempt by the opposition labor to preserve the night of appeal was thwarted by the ruling party when a labor motion was negatived by 299 to 248 votes.

The government defended the bill and said there were 1,700 successful appeals last year for visits from the Indian subcontinent.

But Dave Weaver of the National Black Caucus (NBC), which organized the mass lobby, said the bill was racist. “To take away the right of appeal from a person who is refused entry into this country is a signal to black people that the government does not want us, or our relatives here.”

Jeremy Corbyn, labor MP for Islington North, said the bill was part of a process throughout Europe in which the victim was blamed for being the cause of the problem.

This bill is part of a move to appease the racists in our own society and appease the far right throughout Europe, the labor MP said.

Labor home affairs spokesman Graham Allen said interior ministers Meeting in secret in groups such as the ‘Trevi’ were carving out a “fortress Europe” with strong external borders.

They were harmonizing on the lowest common denominator. Britain was having to do away with appeals because they did not exist in most other countries.

Opening the report stage of the bill, home secretary Kenneth Clarke said 24,500 new applications for Asylum in the UK were received last year nearly halving the 1991 total.

But 19 of 20 applicants did not meet the UN definition for refugee Status. They did not face a personal risk of persecution because of their political or religious beliefs.

He accepted his labor shadow Tony Blair’s argument that there was a “grey area” between bogus and obvious refugees.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 15, 1993