Immigration news

A combination of poor recording keeping by the Australian Immigration department and bad data management by International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) has resulted in the IHMS being unable to locate asylum seekers under its care.

The IHMS, a private sector organisation that's responsible for the provision of healthcare across Australia's immigration detention centres, blames the Australian Immigration Department for the poor standard of record keeping. The Australian Immigration Department says that the IHMS has failed to adhere to the guidelines given by them for managing data on asylum seekers.

A gang of youths targeted UK immigration officers and their vehicles, while they raided a shop in Shadwell, East London, suspected of employing illegal immigrants. Officers were hit with eggs, and tyres on immigration-raid vans were slashed. Three'Immigration Enforcement' vans, plus a silver car were vandalised by the group. A number of news reports have suggested that the gang consisted of "muslims".

A recent report based on the 9 to 20th February 2015 unannounced inspection of Dungavel immigration removal centre in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, has raised concerns over detention times. Although the facility was found to be safe, well-operated and treating its 249 detainees well, inspectors said that case work delays were leading to the lengthy detention of vulnerable asylum seekers.

According to Marc Rubio, the US Senator for Florida, the US immigration system is 'so broken' that close to half of all illegal immigrants in the country originally entered legally. During a Fox News interview on July 22, Rubio said: "We have a porous border and I'm not just talking about the border with Mexico, I mean in general. 40 per cent of illegals are here having overstayed their visas."

The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, blasted EU immigration policies while speaking at an event in the Vatican on 21 July. He believes that the European Union has 'gravely failed Italy' over issues surrounding asylum seekers and immigration.

De Blasio, who was at the Vatican to deliver a speech on climate change and human trafficking, said that the European Union needs to overhaul its immigration policies to provide much needed assistance to member states struggling to cope with thousands of immigrants arriving at their borders by foot or by sea.

Britain and France have struck a deal to remove illegal immigrants from Calais, returning them to West Africa. UK Home Secretary, Theresa May revealed the plans at the same time as announcing that the UK will inject £7 million into security at a Eurotunnel terminal.

Mrs May described the deal as an 'important step forward.' Following a meeting with the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, she announced fresh plans to repatriate illegal immigrants who are currently setting up temporary camps in their thousands outside the port of Calais.