AFGHAN ASYLUM SEEKER RELEASED

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Afghan asylum seeker released

by Adrian Troughton

An Afghan asylum seeker who was due to be deported has been released from detention.

Campaigners yesterday said they were delighted after Abdul Ghafar Rajabali arrived back in Leicester.

The 23-year-old, who feared he would be killed if sent back to Afghanistan, was taken to a detention centre near Gatwick airport 10 days ago.

However, the Home Office yesterday confirmed he had been released temporarily and that his case was being reviewed.

Pam Inder, chairman of the Leicester City of Sanctuary group, which has been working with Mr Rajabali, said all Mr Rajabali’s supporters were “very happy”.

She said: “We understand it is only a temporary release but it is always better not to be in prison than be in prison.

“Abdul’s position is still very precarious. At least he knows he is with friends.

“I have spoken to him on the phone and will see him in the next few days.”

Mr Rajabali’s parents and family were murdered when he was a baby.

He entered Britain illegally as a traumatised 16-year-old in August 2006, after fleeing to escape being forced to fight for the Taliban.

He applied for asylum but was turned down and started living rough in Leicester.

Mr Rajabali was detained on May 10 by the Border Agency. He was released on Wednesday night and arrived back in Leicester early yesterday morning.

Ms Inder said Mr Rajabali has been overwhelmed by the support he has received from people in Leicester.

She said: “He was very emotional when I spoke to him and he said he was very grateful for all the support from everyone in Leicester.

“As I understand it, he will have to have an interview with Home Office officials in the next few days and could even be re-detained.

“I must stress that this is not a solution to this matter and that it could rumble on for years before we get a final decision on whether Abdul can stay in this country.”

Leicester City of Sanctuary has helped Mr Rajabali in his dealings with the Border Agency. The group started an e-petition calling on Home Secretary Teresa May to stop his deportation, which has so far been backed by more than 3,500 people.

Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth, who took up Mr Rajabali’s case with the Home Office, welcomed the news he had been released from detention.

He said: “I am pleased that Mr Rajabali has been released from the detention centre and is back in Leicester with friends and supporters.

“We shall carry on supporting him in his fight to stay in the UK.”

A Home Office spokesman confirmed Mr Rajabali had been released on Wednesday.

He said: “Mr Rajabali was released from detention after providing further information in relation to his case, which is now being considered.”

IF I'M SENT BACK TO KABUL I WILL BE KILLED

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

If I'm sent back to Kabul I will be killed

by Tim Healy

Campaigners are calling for a 23-year-old failed Afghani asylum-seeker to be allowed to remain in Leicester, saying he will be killed if he is deported.

Abdul Ghafar Rajabali's parents and family were murdered when he was a baby, and he entered Britain illegally as a traumatised 16-year-old in August 2006 after fleeing.

He applied for asylum but was turned down and started living rough.

He was later found destitute by the Red Cross.

Because he has extreme post-traumatic stress syndrome and a medical condition which, say campaigners, could not be treated in Afghanistan, Mr Rajabali was allowed to stay in the UK while his medical case was reviewed.

However, that permission ended last week and when he attended a routine reporting session with the immigration authorities in Loughborough on Friday, he was detained by UK Border Agency staff.

Mr Rajabali, who has converted to Christianity, was taken to Morton Hall Detention Centre, in Lincolnshire, and faces being put on a flight to Kabul at midnight on Tuesday.

The Leicester City of Sanctuary group, which has been working with Mr Rajabali, has launched an e-petition calling on Home Secretary Teresa May to stop his deportation.

It has so far been backed by more than 1,100 people.

The group said he was wrongly treated as an adult when he arrived in the UK, and was put at a disadvantage because the translator used by the UK Border Agency did not understand the dialect he spoke.

He also inadvertently missed an asylum hearing and, fearing he would be deported as a result, went under the radar of the authorities which resulted in him living on the streets.

The group said Mr Rajabali was preparing a claim for asylum "based on new evidence" when he was detained, and wants him released so the application can be heard.

Speaking from the detention centre, Mr Rajabali said: "I am scared. I cannot go back to Afghanistan, I will be killed because I am now a Christian.

"Not only will the Taliban kill me, but other religious groups too. I love England and I love Leicester. The police are very good here. They do not hit you if you ask a question."

Pam Inder, chairman of Leicester City of Sanctuary, said Mr Rajabali had "touched the hearts of everyone who knows him" in Leicester.

She said: "Abdul is an illegal immigrant, but he is a very special person. He is intelligent and kind and would be a very good addition to our society."

She said Mr Rajabali would be killed if he went back to Afghanistan, a country where he has no family does not know anyone who could help him.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Every asylum application is carefully considered on a case by case basis.

"The UK only returns individuals if both the Home Office and the courts are satisfied they do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the country.

"Mr Rajabali's case has been considered and rejected by the courts and he failed to attend an appeal hearing before an independent judge."

GOVERNMENT TO HEAR PLEA ON COST OF POLICING EDL MARCH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Government to hear plea on cost of policing EDL march

MP Keith Vaz and Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole are to meet Government minister Nick Herbert to discuss the cost of policing last weekend's English Defence League march.

As previously reported by the Mercury, the Leicestershire force faces a bill of at least £800,000 for protests by the EDL and Unite Against Fascism last weekend.

The final bill could be even higher when planning and preparations in the run-up to the day itself are taken into account.

Leicester East MP Mr Vaz said it was "unfair" that the entire cost for the policing operation lay at the door of the county force, which has had to save millions of pounds from its budget because of Government spending cuts.

He raised the issue, along with his concern at the impact on frontline policing from budget cuts, with policing minister Mr Herbert during the Police Grants debate in the House of Commons.

Speaking after the debate, he said: "Leicestershire Constabulary, like others in the country, is facing serious cuts to its budget in light of the Government's deficit reduction programme.

"It is highly unfair that the £800,000 bill for policing the march should have to be met by the Leicestershire police force.

"I am delighted that policing minister Nick Herbert has agreed to meet with me on this issue."

Chief Constable Simon Cole has also accepted an invitation from Mr Vaz to meet him and the minister.

A police spokesman said: "The chief constable has been invited to meet with Mr Vaz and Mr Herbert to discuss the issues surrounding the cost of policing these kinds of protest marches and the implications for police resources."

About 700 people took part in the EDL march on Saturday, February 4, while police said 200 joined the Leicester Unite Against Fascism's counter protest on a separate route.

The chief constable put 2,200 officers on the streets on the day, with most of the operation costs coming from the need to bring in police from 16 other forces.

The Leicestershire force was praised for its handling of the potentially volatile affair and there were no arrests.

Although the police are entitled to a financial contribution from football clubs such as Leicester City for policing home games, that is not currently the case with protests involving loosely-affiliated groups such as the EDL.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Ministers regularly conduct private meetings with MPs to discuss any issues or concerns."

Writing in a First Person column in the Mercury, earlier this week, Mr Cole said: "It is not for the police to set the laws, but I do think that there needs to be some reflection about the costs and expectations placed on police forces as we are currently paying, on your behalf, the price of free speech.

"That price is significant, and it is paid with the money paid in through taxes by us all."

"WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO BAN EDL MARCH IN LEICESTER"

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

"We should be looking to ban the EDL march in Leicester"

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has been urged to ask the Home Office to outlaw Saturday's English Defence League march.

The call was made yesterday by former city council leader Ross Willmott.

He said he was concerned at the potential for disorder breaking out along the route allocated to the group, which includes Belgrave Gate, the Clock Tower and Church Gate.

Instead the group – whose members turned violent during a previous demonstration in the city in October 2010 – should only be allowed to go ahead with their "static" demonstration outside the city centre, Coun Willmott said.

The EDL yesterday appeared to agree to the route and conditions laid down for it by the police by posting a message to its supporters on its Facebook page, saying they should arrive at the agreed departure point – St Margaret's Pastures – at the time stipulated by police.

Coun Willmott, who claimed other members of the council supported his position, said: "The march will allow the EDL to effectively take control of these streets in the city centre.

"It's astonishing that the police have advised the council that these people should be allowed to parade along a busy shopping area on a Saturday.

"The march will be intimidating for many people."

He also criticised the route allocated by police and the city council to Leicester Unite Against Fascism.

The group has been offered a route which begins at city council headquarters, in Welford Place, and includes Pocklington's Walk, Horsefair Street and Charles Street.

Sir Peter defended his handling of the protests and said he was acting on police advice. The council still has time to apply for a ban on marches, he confirmed.

He said: "The fact is that over the past two weeks I have met community leaders, faith groups and businesses who have been almost unanimous in saying they do not want us to seek a ban on the march.

"They were concerned there would be a repeat of the violence we saw in October 2010 and have encouraged us to do all we can to minimise disruption in the city centre on Saturday.

"The advice we have had from police is they are confident they can contain the march.

"On the last occasion, when they were banned from marching and held a static protest, the city centre was effectively closed for 24 hours.

"We have learned lessons from that and do not want to see a repeat of that violence."

Leicester Unite Against Fascism members will decide shortly if they are happy to stick to the route given to them by police.

However, they are unhappy with the route given to the EDL.

Jackie Lewis, chairwoman of the group, said: "We are disappointed the council and the police have allowed the English Defence League a route through the symbolic heart of the city centre.

"This area belongs to the people of Leicester, not the English Defence League which is, largely, busing people in from outside the area."

EDL IN BID TO MARCH THROUGH LEICESTER CITY CENTRE

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

EDL in bid to march through Leicester city centre

Its previous protest degenerated into violence as people within a cordoned-off area reserved for the EDL pelted police officers with bricks, bottles and coins.

A number of fireworks and smoke bombs were also thrown from the 1,000-strong EDL section, while some of its followers broke through police lines to engage in running battles with local youths and officers.

The operation cost police – who put 2,000 officers on to the streets – and Leicester City Council an estimated £850,000. Shops, particularly those in Humberstone Gate East, lost trade because they closed and boarded up their properties for the day.

The EDL formally notified city authorities on Wednesday of its wish to stage a march and rally.

Police and officials at Leicester City Council held an urgent meeting yesterday to consider their response.

They can apply to the Home Office for a ban on the march – as they did on the previous occasion – but cannot prevent a static protest.City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said he would be working closely with the police and community groups.

He said: "Our overriding aim is to ensure that the people of Leicester can go about their business safely. We will do everything we can to ensure that any demonstration passes off peacefully, with as little disruption to the life of the city as possible."

Martin Traynor, chief executive of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, said a repeat of the disorder would harm the city's image for shoppers.

He said: "We would urge the authorities, including the Home Office, to decline this application."

Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for the Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, described news of the group's decision to return to Leicester as "sad".

"Our door is always open and we would urge members of the EDL to reconsider their position and opt instead for dialogue with us," he said.

A police spokesman said senior officers were speaking to the group about its plans.

She said: "This isn't the first time Leicestershire police has had to deal with a large-scale demonstration.

"People know from past experience that we do have a commitment to make sure that our communities are well informed of developments."The scale of next month's protest was unclear yesterday.

Branches of the group in areas including Yorkshire, Berkshire, Greater Manchester and Nottingham have signalled their intention to take part.

A spokesman for Leicester Unite Against Fascism said it was monitoring developments and was ready to stage a counter protest, as it did in October 2010.

LEICESTER TO RECEIVE HOME OFFICE CASH TO TACKLE EXTREMISM

Here's an interseting article from today's Leicester Mercury. As has been mentioned previously on the blog, Leicester Council of Faiths has never been invited to participate directly in any activities related to the Prevent agenda, nor has it ever received any money from the funds available for that purpose.

Leicester to receive Home Office cash to tackle extremism

A Government anti-terrorism strategy has identified Leicester as a potential hotspot for extremism.

The city will now be eligible for a slice of the Home Office's £63 million-a-year Prevent fund to set up projects and schemes to counter extremism.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "Prevent aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

"Our new strategy will challenge extremist ideology, help protect institutions from extremists and tackle the radicalisation of vulnerable people.

"Above all, it will tackle the threat from home-grown terrorism."

The original Prevent strategy was set up in the wake of the July 7, 2005, London bombings.

However, the Government said it had been ineffective and wasteful and that some of the cash had ended up in the hands of extremists.

Under the new scheme, Leicester City Council will have to appoint a dedicated Prevent co-ordinator, funded by the Home Office.

The co-ordinator will have to set out "clear, focused activities" and councils will have to set up a partnership, involving police, children's services and other agencies.

It could run projects working with schools, universities or community groups to identify and support individuals at risk of radicalisation or promoting mainstream leaders in communities so that moderate voices are heard.

Suleman Nagdi, of the Leicester Federation of Muslim Organisations, welcomed the strategy but said he was concerned it was just aimed at Muslims.

He said: "Violent extremism is an unfortunate phenomenon that is a feature of various groups and any counter-terrorism measures need to take this into consideration.

"In failing to acknowledge the presence of violent extremism in other communities and presenting it as an Islamic phenomenon, the Government has wantonly ignored the threat posed to the security of the UK from other groups.

"This is particularly pertinent as we have seen people from the far-right charged and convicted for acts of terrorism.

"By singling out one group so starkly, the Government may have risked alienating further, people who feel that they are on the margins of society.

'The federation remains committed to remaining at the forefront in the war against violent extremism in all its guises."

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "I have no doubt we will be able to use the money to promote community cohesion, though we are all a bit wary about money that is targeted at one section of the community."

Leicester Council of Faiths chairman Manjula Sood said: "We are lucky in Leicester that we have harmonious relations but we cannot be complacent.

"Extremists target the young and the vulnerable. I hope some of this money will help young people get jobs and stability so they are not tempted down the wrong path."

infrastructure providers group (1)

At Voluntary Action Leicester this morning for a meeting of the Infrastructure Providers Group. This is meant to review and oversee plans for the support of infrastructure organisations in the city and county. But it seems that there's not a consensus about who these organisations are or what they do. Here's a good definition, from the Home Office in 2004, which describes infrastructure as, "the physical facilities, structures, system, relationships, people, knowledge and skills that exist to support and develop, co-ordinate, represent and promote frontline organisations thus enabling them to deliver their missions more effectively. Infrastructure organisations are those whose primary purpose is to provide infrastructure functions or services (support and development, co-ordination, representation and promotion) to frontline organisations." When visiting the various Voluntary Action centres, or community hubs, in the county and Rutland for REDP's Mainstreaming Equality project, many of them don't want to describe themselves in terms of infrastructure organisations, mostly because they're not being funded to do that sort of work. But they seem happier to be known under the old-fashioned term, "umbrella organisations". A new alternative appears to be "Support Services". I guess one of those will do.