Migration and Asylum Working Group Update

The Migration & Asylum Sub Group last met on 31 October 2007.

The Group discussed the UK Action Plan on Trafficking and reported back on a meeting they had with the Trafficking Action Plan Co-ordinator in the summer.

The Group also discussed the response they received from Jeremy Oppenheim (Borders & Immigration Agency-Social Policy Unit) and agreed to raise the following three issues in a follow-up letter:

The Group also had a lengthy discussion about the case of Pegah Emambaksh whose case the WNC had taken forward as a test. Pegah has been threatened with deportation to Iran, however the WNC were concerned that her safety was not guaranteed because of her sexual orientation and saw this as an opportunity to work across the equality strands and influence policy. The WNC had co-ordinated letters sent to the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith from Mandana Hendessi (the then Chair of the Migration & Asylum Working Group), Haleh Afshar (Chair of the Muslim Women's Network) and Baroness Joyce Gould.

The Group were concerned that taking up individual cases can raise a number of issues. Namely: the selection criteria for the cases, how do we choose to take forward one case over another? Bringing such cases to the attention of Parliamentarians could have negative repercussions for the individual/s involved, the full details surrounding the case may not be known and the individual's anonymity cannot be guaranteed. It was suggested that rather than trying to influence policy based on one individual case it may be best practice to use case studies examples which would benefit women in similar situations on the whole.

It was decided that this discussion would be brought to the attention of Commissioners.

The next meeting of the Group will take place on 23 January and an official from Lord Goldsmith's Citizenship Review Team will be coming along to talk to the Group about that Review in relation to integration.

WNC/07/5/09