Donation Amount. Min £2

World

Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent (PA) The Home Office placed hundreds of asylum seekers in controversial military barracks following fears that better accommodation would "undermine confidence" in the system, internal documents reveal. Concerns have been mounting about conditions in two Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites – known as Napier Barracks, in Folkestone, Kent, and Penally Barracks, in Pembrokeshire – since they were were repurposed for housing asylum seekers last September. Campaigners, lawyers and humanitarian groups have reported poor access to healthcare and legal advice, as well as concerns over coronavirus safety. The barracks burst into flames on Friday and asylum seekers say they have suffered electricity and hot water outages since the fire, with Kent Police saying five men have been arrested after a disturbance at the camp. It has now emerged that the Home Office, in its equality impact assessment of the plans to use MoD sites to house asylum seekers, justified the move by stating that housing these individuals in more “generous” accommodation would “undermine public confidence in the asylum system”. Critics say the document shows ministers “pandering to prejudice” and jeopardising health for “political ends”. The assessment states that destitute asylum seekers are “not analogous” to British citizens and other permanent residents who are in need of state welfare assistance, and that the “less generous” support provided to this group is “justified by the need to control immigration”. “Any provision of support over and beyond what is necessary to enable the individuals to meet their housing and subsistence needs could undermine public confidence in the asylum system and hamper wider efforts to tackle prejudice and promote understanding within the general community and amongst other migrant groups,” it states. The decision to use military barracks as accommodation for asylum seekers came less than a month after the Home Office apologised for an “operational failure” which meant asylum seekers were placed in a hotel in Ms Patel’s constituency of Witham. The apology came after former Ukip leader Nigel Farage shared a video of himself in front of the hotel claiming “illegal migrants” were living there. Shadow immigration minister Holly Lynch said the claims were “reprehensible” and an “affront to the values of the British people” to lock people into accommodation with no way to self-isolate, and called for residents to be moved into Covid-secure housing “as a matter of urgency”. Sophie Lucas, solicitor at Duncan Lewis, a law firm that has represented a number of asylum seekers who have subsequently been moved out of the barracks, said the document insinuated that a less generous system for asylum seekers was a “legitimate response” to outcry from extremist groups. “Instead of attempting to combat bigotry and hostility towards asylum seekers, the Home Office have pandered to prejudice. Penalising an already extremely vulnerable group of people in this way is unlawful,” she said. Chai Patel, legal director at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said: “The government implied these cramped and disused barracks were being used as temporary housing because there was no alternative. “But this document reveals that Home Office has been jeopardising people’s health for partly political ends – prioritising playing ‘tough’ on migration over the lives of extremely vulnerable people, who’ve been placed in conditions reminiscent of those they were fleeing.” The equality impact assessment seen by The Independent, which was carried out in September, also stated that social distancing was possible in the barracks, citing that “beds in dormitory style sleeping quarters [would] be at least two metres apart” and that “regular cleaning will take place to reduce Covid risks”. It said residents would receive “equivalent assistance” to that which they would have if placed in alternative initial accommodation or a hotel. A Covid outbreak at Napier Barracks – which has not been used by military personnel for more than five years – eventually spread to more than 100 people after asylum seekers were banned from leaving the site and threatened with arrest if they did. Naomi Phillips, director of policy and advocacy at British Red Cross, said the sites were “completely inappropriate and inhumane” as housing for refugees, and called for them to be close “urgently”. "Tragically, for the individuals who have been made to live in these sites, the fears that we and others had have been borne out. The people we’ve spoken to have told us that they didn’t receive health screenings, were given little or no information about what was happening to them, and simply do not feel safe in the barracks,” she added. Bridget Chapman, of local charity Kent Refugee Action Network, said the Home Office’s decision to use “inappropriate and isolated” buildings as asylum seeker accommodation was a “deliberate choice to create a narrative of being deliberately tough on those seeking sanctuary”. Dr Claire van Nispen tot Pannerden, an infectious disease consultant at Doctors of the World, said the assessment failed to address the reality of the ongoing pandemic, describing it as “beyond negligent” to accommodate people who are not from a household in large shared accommodation with shared facilities. Mr Philp said he rejected allegations that asylum seekers had not been able to access healthcare or legal advice, claiming they could access healthcare “whenever needed” and were “freely able” to contact legal representatives or support. “These sites have accommodated soldiers and army personnel in the past – it is wrong to say that it is not good enough for asylum claimants,” he added. By May Bulman/The Independent/Yahoo
Police have issued thousands of pounds worth of new fines to people caught at illegal house parties. Authorities across the country gave out £800 penalties after the rate was increased from £200 on Friday. Devon and Cornwall Police issued £12,800 worth of fines to 16 people in Plymouth on Saturday morning when were caught breaking the rules, the BBC reported. Sgt Dan Brenchley said: "Whether or not the individuals learn from it, or if they pay for it, we don't know. "But we just hope that the more fines increase and the more powers the police get, the more this small minority of people will listen to what the government are saying and help fight this virus." Watch: New fines introduced for house parties Scroll back up to restore default view. In Derbyshire, police broke up two parties and issued 16 fines, with most of the penalties being given to parents as some of the people caught were under 18. Inspector Nick Booth added: "I am keenly aware of just how difficult it is not seeing friends and family for such an extended period of time - but now is not the time to be behaving in such a way. "This week we passed the tragic figure of 100,000 deaths during this pandemic and I would urge everyone to think long and hard about their actions." The latest coronavirus laws came into force as part of tougher measures to crack down on illegal gatherings during the pandemic. The penalties apply for groups of more than 15 people and will double after each offence, up to a maximum of £6,400 for repeat offenders, Home Secretary Priti Patel said last week when she announced the plans. This supersedes previous fines of £200. But the £10,000 penalties for unlawful groups of more than 30 people will still only apply to the organiser. According to the legislation, which has now been published and is called the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers and Self-Isolation) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021, the £800 fine is cut to £400 if paid within 14 days. As well as those in private dwellings, the rule also applies to similar gatherings in “educational accommodation”, the documents setting out the new law said. The new laws give police powers to access Test and Trace data, the documents also suggest. Yahoo News

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the nation he was "deeply sorry" for a coronavirus death toll that passed the 100,000 mark yesterday (Tuesday) and accepted "full responsibility" for the grim milestone.

The Prime Minister said it was "hard to compute the sorrow" caused by the "appalling and tragic loss of life" over the past year, during which Britain has suffered the fifth-highest number of deaths of any country in the world.

The latest analysis of the deaths shows that the pandemic has not taken an even toll on society, with a disproportionately large number of people on low incomes losing their lives, particularly in the second wave.

Asked what lessons had been learnt since the beginning of the pandemic, Prof Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, said that opinion had changed on the usefulness of masks, and that the impact of asymptomatic cases had initially been underestimate. 

 
The ASX is set to take a tumble this morning amid a fall on Wall Street. The IMF has become more upbeat about the global economy, the World Economic Outlook now expects the global economy to grow 5.5% this year. Globally Covid cases ...

Many experts believe Britain's relatively elderly population, high obesity rates and high population density may have played a part in the death rates. Ministers have committed to a full inquiry once the pandemic is over.

During the second wave, people living in the most deprived areas have been dying at a rate up to six times higher than in the wealthiest areas.

Many of them, such as NHS staff, supermarket workers and delivery drivers, have had to carry on going out to work while those in white-collar jobs have been able to work from home.

Johnson promised that when the pandemic was over, there would be a national commemoration to remember and honour all those who had died, including the "selfless heroism" of those "who gave their lives to save others".

There was better news on infections, with 20,089 positive Covid tests reported, the lowest daily total since December 15, as case numbers continued to fall. A total of 6,853,327 people have now received at least one dose of Covid vaccine, up 279,757 on the previous day. 

One in eight adults has now received the jab. But Prof Whitty said cases were not coming down in all areas and deaths would remain high for some time.

Another 1,631 deaths were reported yesterday, taking the total to 100,162 since the first official coronavirus death - a hospital patient in Reading - was reported on March 5 last year. It is now believed the first Covid death in Britain may have been as early as January.

Only the US, Brazil, India and Mexico have recorded more deaths, but Britain has a higher death rate per head of population than any of those countries.

Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, who sits on the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), estimated that each person has died, on average, 10 years prematurely, meaning one million years of life lost.

Johnson said: "I am sorry to have to tell you that the number of deaths recorded from Covid in the UK has surpassed 100,000, and it is hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic.

Arriving passengers walk past a sign in the arrivals area at Heathrow Airport in London, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, during England's third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began.
MATT DUNHAM/AP
Arriving passengers walk past a sign in the arrivals area at Heathrow Airport in London, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, during England's third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began.

“I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one: fathers and mothers; brothers and sisters; sons and daughters and the many grandparents who have been taken."

Nine months after Sir Patrick Vallance, the Chief Scientific Adviser, suggested 20,000 deaths would be a "good outcome", Johnson said that to describe the actual death toll would "exhaust the thesaurus of misery; it's an appalling and tragic loss of life".

For all those mourning loved ones, he said: "When we have come through this crisis, we will come together as a nation to remember everyone we lost, and to honour the selfless heroism of all those on the front line who gave their lives to save others.

"We will remember the courage of countless working people - not just our amazing NHS and care workers, but shop workers, transport staff, pharmacists, teachers, police, Armed Forces, emergency services and many others - who kept our country going during our biggest crisis since the Second World War.

“We will commemorate the small acts of kindness, the spirit of volunteering and the daily sacrifice of millions who placed their lives on hold time and again as we fought each new wave of the virus, buying time for our brilliant scientists to come to our aid."

The gap in deaths between the rich and poor has widened in the second wave. In April, the most deprived 10 per cent of areas had death rates 1.3 times higher than the wealthiest 10 per cent. By October the poorest areas had death rates six times higher than the richest.

Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, said: "The awful truth is that those of us on secure salaries with comfortable homes are often only mildly inconvenienced by lockdown.

“Meanwhile, the terrible toll of both exposure to the disease at work and confinement in sometimes overcrowded homes falls on the low-paid and the young. As Conservatives, we must look in the mirror and ask if it is time to think seriously about social solidarity."

Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said the inquiry into the handling of the pandemic was likely to find that delayed lockdowns, problems with the test and trace system and the "lax" international arrivals policy had all contributed to the high death toll.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York urged people of all faiths and none to take part in a "prayer for the nation" every day at 6pm to remember the dead.

In an open letter to the nation, the Most Rev Justin Welby and the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell said: "One hundred thousand isn't just an abstract figure. Each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us."

Office for National Statistics data, which use cause-of-death data from death certificates rather than deaths within 28 days of a positive test, suggest the true death toll could be almost 120,000. Stuff/The Telegraph.

About IEA Media Ltd

Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.

To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854.
If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.

We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.

Get in touch

Our Offices

London, UK
+44 7886 544135
editor (@) informereastafrica.com
Slough, UK
+44 7957 636854
info (@) informereastafrica.com

Latest News

Drama in Makindye as Besigye supporters attempt to free him from army

Drama in Makindye as...

Kizza Besigye in court Tension and drama flared up at the General Court Martial in Makindye today a...

DCI urges landowners to be cautious of cartels conning buyers

DCI urges landowners...

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has cautioned land owners to beware of land cartels...

Angola: Biden’s visit ‘dramatic break with history’ – analysts

Angola: Biden’s visi...

Analysts contacted by Lusa consider Joe Biden’s only trip to Africa and the first by a US president...

Tanzania buys Chinese freight wagons as standard gauge railway gets off to flying start

Tanzania buys Chines...

The SGR is set to increase the importance of Dar es Salaam (Image: Sohadiszno/Dreamstime) Tanzania...

For Advertisement

Big Reach

Informer East Africa is one platform for all people. It is a platform where you find so many professionals under one umbrella serving the African communities together.

Very Flexible

We exist to inform you, hear from you and connect you with what is happening around you. We do this professionally and timely as we endeavour to capture all that you should never miss. Informer East Africa is simply news for right now and the future.

Quality News

We only bring to you news that is verified, checked and follows strict journalistic guidelines and standards. We believe in 1. Objective coverage, 2. Impartiality and 3. Fair play.

Banner & Video Ads

A banner & video advertisement from our sponsors will show up every once in a while. It keeps us and our writers coffee replenished.