HLHR.org
Friday, January 27, 2023
  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
  • TAKE ACTION
  • NEWS
  • RESEARCH
  • IMPACT
  • RESOURCES
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
  • TAKE ACTION
  • NEWS
  • RESEARCH
  • IMPACT
  • RESOURCES
No Result
View All Result
hlhrorg
No Result
View All Result
Home TAKE ACTION

UK Home Office in breach of human rights, court rules

April 17, 2021
0

A British court has ruled that the Home Office has violated human rights laws by refusing to investigate the deaths of a few asylum seekers it held in detention.

In their ruling on Wednesday, two immigration judges also accused the Home Office of purposefully trying to prevent an investigation by deporting the only witness in the case.

READ ALSO

As world ages, UN calls for re-thinking on social protection

Baku summit – A summit held behind the curtains

“Despite a tragic death within a detention centre, the home secretary did not hesitate to maintain her plan to remove potential witnesses by charter flight, ignoring anyone who wished to come forward to give evidence,” they said.

The witness in question is Nigerian asylum seeker Ahmed Lawal. He was due to give evidence about his friend Oscar Lucky Okwurime, who died of negligence while in detention in August 2019.

Upon his death at the Harmondsworth immigration removal center, Okwurime’s blood pressure reading showed hypertension, suggesting that he could be saved if sufficient medical care was available when it mattered.

The official healthcare policy by the Home Office states that in such cases blood pressure tests must be done on a regular basis to make sure the asylum seeker is not in danger.  But this was not the case with Okwurime and he diedat the age of 34 from a stroke which was most possibly cause by hypertension.

Lawal was called as a witness by the court but the Home Office attempted to deport him just five days later after Okwurime’s death.

The Home Office even made no effort to secure the evidence beforsending him back, accprding to a probe.

The high court and the judge prevented Lawal’s deportation in time, allowing him to eventually present the evidence last November. The court found that Okwurime indeed died of unnatural causes and as a direct result of neglect by the Home Office. 

“This case demonstrates the cavalier attitude of the Home Office when enforcing removals,” said Lawal’s lawyer

The two immigration judges found Wednesday that the Home Office breached the law by trying to remove Lawal from the case. They also ruled that the department’s policy was “legally deficient” as it didn’t give sufficient guidance as to what should be done when an unlawful death occurs in an immigration center.

They also ruled unlawful a different policy that failed to did efficiently secure evidence from witnesses of death in detention. 

The court ruled that the Home Office can no longer undermine inquiries into such deaths. 

According to numbers by the charity Inquest, a rights advocacy group since 2000 there have been at least 38 deaths in migrant detention centers across the UK, 16 of which self-inflicted while 17 were not and two were ruled homicides. The other two have yet to be classified.

The Home Office has stated in response to the ruling that deaths in detention are “relatively rare” but it will review its policies and probe such cases.

“Deaths in detention are relatively rare and are referred to police and the prisons and probation ombudsman for investigation,” read a statement.

“We have noted the judgment and will be refreshing our current processes, such as introducing a new checklist to ensure that all potential witnesses are identified.”

Related Posts

As world is ageing, UN calls for re-thinking on social protection
Important

As world ages, UN calls for re-thinking on social protection

January 24, 2023
Baku summit – A summit held behind the curtains
Important

Baku summit – A summit held behind the curtains

January 23, 2023
A glance at the human rights situations since January 2023
Important

A glance at the human rights situations since January 2023

January 20, 2023
Indonesian President regrets past violations
Important

Indonesian President regrets past violations

January 14, 2023
Blind assassinations by the MKO in the 1980s
Important

Blind assassinations by the MKO in the 1980s

January 11, 2023
The hidden supporters of the MKO
Important

The hidden supporters of the MKO

January 9, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

51 − = 46

POPULAR NEWS

Palestinian detainees cross 100 days of boycotting Israeli courts

Palestinian detainees cross 100 days of boycotting Israeli courts

April 15, 2022
Analysis of Taliban offensive and necessary action

Analysis of Taliban offensive and necessary action

April 11, 2022
Taliban rule accompanied by killings and abuses

Taliban rule accompanied by killings and abuses

April 17, 2022
What was behind the death of Qatar's migrant workers?

What was behind the death of Qatar’s migrant workers?

April 21, 2022
Rights groups demand whereabouts of detained Egyptian journalist

Rights groups demand whereabouts of detained Egyptian journalist

April 24, 2022

EDITOR'S PICK

Palestinian boy Rayan Suleiman dies after being chased by IDF

Palestinian boy Rayan Suleiman dies after being chased by IDF

October 4, 2022

Campaigns

February 13, 2021
French police officer found guilty of assaulting British man helping migrants

French police officer found guilty of assaulting British man helping migrants

September 4, 2021
France’s war on terror and deradicalization policy

France’s war on terror and deradicalization policy

February 20, 2021
HLHR.org

About HLHR

Ours is a familiar story. A group of friends from all over the world have come together to chase the dream many others have chased before and are religiously working to fulfill; a world where human lives and human rights are treasured.

Recent Posts

  • As world ages, UN calls for re-thinking on social protection
  • Baku summit – A summit held behind the curtains
  • A glance at the human rights situations since January 2023
  • Indonesian President regrets past violations
  • Blind assassinations by the MKO in the 1980s

Categories

No Result
View All Result

© 2021 HLHR.ORG All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
  • TAKE ACTION
  • NEWS
  • RESEARCH
  • IMPACT
  • RESOURCES

© 2021 HLHR.ORG All rights reserved.