Next week, Detention Action will be in the High Court challenging the Home Office’s policy of detaining asylum seekers in prison-like, immigration detention centres.
On Tuesday and Wednesday next week there will be a day and a half hearing in the High Court against the Home Office challenging the lawfulness of the Detained Fast Track.
We are particularly concerned about the Fast Track system, which allows for the detention of people from the minute they claim asylum, which sees thousands more people every year, when they come to the UK seeking safety.
Ivo Kuka, who is a torture survivor from Cameroon was held in the Detained Fast Track system, and has since been granted refugee status said:
“I told my case owner I could provide evidence from Cameroon. To my greatest dismay, I was served with a refusal letter the following day. I had less than 24 hours to provide this evidence. In these 24 hours, I had to send the documentation to my solicitor to send to an expert to verify their authenticity before they could be given to UKBA.
“And I couldn’t do it in time; from a prison cell, without a solicitor. They were going to send me back to Cameroon. They were sending me back with a death warrant. I was lucky and I campaigned hard and now I am a refugee. Many more have not been lucky. And justice should not depend on luck.”
If would like to come to court to support the case, please email kate@detentionaction.org.uk for more details.