Group of 8 decide Brent's future

The small size of Brent Council's main decision making group was brought home last night when the Cabinet met for the first time: 8 councillors flanked by officers.

There was more discussion than usual in the Executive with new deputy leader Michael Pavey asking exploratory questions of other Cabinet members but unfortunately their comments were often inaudible. Contributions emphasised the need for provision of school places to be the responsibility of the whole education community and the LA to be the champion of all children and young people whatever the type of school they attend.

Christine Gilbert emphasised the need for the Council to be in close collaboration with schools rather than schools feeling that thatwere having things doen to them by the Council.

 The 34 recommendations of the Education Commission were noted and the report will go to Scrutiny in August - unfortunately when schools, teachers and parents are on holiday. An action plan on implementing the recommendations will then be devised.

New arrangements for helping rough sleepers were approved with much of the work being undertaken by Ashford Place with other partners. Cllr Krupesh Hirani said that he was pleased that the Council were working with the UK Border Agency. He remarked that some Eastern Europeans ended up rough sleeping when they found they could not earn enough here and wanted to return home: 'It is better to work cooperatively with them to help them go home rather than have something like the racist "Go Home" van.'

I would like to have heard more about how this help would avoid coercion or harassment.

The Cabinet approved plans to let two of the Civic Centre's 8 adminstraive office floors to a commercial company with whom they are in negotiations.

Greens leaflet Kensal Green station after UKBorders raid

Brent Green Party leafleted commuters at  Kensal Green station this morning following yesterday's raid by UK Borders officers in which thre people were arrested.

It is reported that they were at Cricklewood station this morning and also at Stratford;

The leaflet (see below) set out the rights of people who are stopped by the officers.

Brent Council leader condemns 'divisive and intimidating' UKBA tactics after station raid

Three people were arrested this morning after the UK Border Agency raid on Kensal Green underground station. Locals said officers behaved in an intimidating way. Cllr Muhammed Butt in a statement to the Kilburn Times condemned the raid, coming as it did after last week's controversial tour of the borough by the 'racist van' which urged 'Go Home or face arrest'.

Full story on the Kilburn Times website HERE

UK Border Agency target Brent station in check for 'illegals'

 

UK Border Agency at Kensal Green station this morning (via@mattkelcher)

Monday morning commuters at Brent's Kensal Green station were shocked this morning to find a group of black-clad heavies in the booking office stopping passengers as they tried to get to work.

It was the UK Border Agency doing checks on the immigration status of targeted individuals. I saw a similar raid at Wembley Park station in the evening rush hour about 6 weeks.

I found the sight sinister and disturbing, especially when one young woman was surround by between 6 and 8 border guards questioning her in front of passing commuters who were possible her neighbours.

A threatening and humiliating experience.

This morning's raid sent shock waves around the borough as it appeared to coincide with the controversy around the 'racist van' campaign which told 'illegal' immigrants to 'Go Home or face arrest'. Cllr Butt, leader of Brent Council and ace Tweeter PukkahPunjabi from Willesden Green have been in the forefront of resistance to what they view as a crude campaign by the Tories to win back votes from UKIP. Sarah Teather, Brent Central's Lib Dem MP condemned the racist van campaign and was followed on Sunday by Vince Cable who called it 'stupid and offensive'.

Is this the Home Office's response?

 Advice for people stopped in such raids is available HERE

The perils facing separated young asylum seekers

This report  by Nicky Road of a recent conference has been forwarded by the Institute for Race Relations and should be of interest to teachers, social workers, lawyers and refugee groups in Brent.

The  conference, organised by the Royal Holloway and the Tavistock and Portman NHS on 19 September, brought together lawyers, teachers, mental health workers, social workers, refugee organisations and young asylum seekers to share their knowledge and experiences and to establish a network to collate information and track the outcomes for separated young people seeking asylum.

The excellent contributors detailed both the legal minefield of seeking justice for these young people and the emotional and psychological impact of displacement and a very uncertain and potentially life-threatening future. Young people from Afghanistan also participated in the day and spoke about their experiences of living in the UK, gaining education and qualifications, making friends and a life here only to be met with a very uncertain future as they reach 18.

There were speakers, films taken by young people speaking about their lives, a performance of Mazloom, a play based on words and experiences of young asylum seekers, and a film called Hamedullah. This is the true story of Hamedullah who fled Afghanistan as a teenager and lived safely in Canterbury until Border Agency officials came to his house in the middle of the night, arrested him and removed him to Kabul on a charter flight. Sue Clayton, a film director working in the Media Department at the Royal Holloway, filmed the day he was led to his flight and gave him a tiny video camera which he has since used to capture his experience of returning and his daily struggle to survive. This film is a very powerful testament to the dangers that these young people face when they are forcibly removed and gives the lie to the official statement that it is safe for these young men to return.

The greatest sense of injustice voiced by those young people present was the inequality in the way they are treated in the UK. The different standards of the legal representation they receive was also voiced by many, lawyers included. Supporters of these young people have started to show extracts of Hamedullah to judges, highlighting what they can expect on their return, and this is proving an increasingly effective way of influencing the decisions taken by courts.

The film Hamedullah costs £10 with all the proceeds going to this young man to support him whilst he tries to make a new life for himself. He has been unable to get work, has no family left and his village is in one of the most dangerous areas. He is viewed with great suspicion as belonging to neither country.