"In Whose Best Interests?" event to be held 22 January 2019
Join us as we come together to examine the separation of families by detention and deportation and conduct the BID Annual General Meeting.
Speakers Announced:
- Nick Beales, Legal Manager, Separated Families’ Project
- Mr A, formerly detained and facing deportation from the UK
- Amelia Gentleman, Guardian journalist
- Rt Hon David Lammy, MP
- Carmen Kearney, Legal Manager Article 8 & Deportation Project
Despite the Home Office having a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship & Immigration Act 2009, it routinely separates parents from their children by sending them to immigration detention pending removal or deportation.
Since the 2007 UK Borders Act there have been automatic deportation provisions for any “foreign national” who serves a custodial sentence of 12 months or longer.
Until 2013 there was legal aid available for people to make arguments that it would be disproportionate to deport them based on their private and family life in the UK.
With the removal of legal aid for deportation cases, people whose entire lives are in the UK, including those who have been here since childhood and have British citizen children, now increasingly have to attempt to navigate a hostile immigration system without legal representation.
The impact of this forced separation on children’s well-being is devastating. Parents also face the very real prospect of being deported without their children.
Through BID’s separated families’ project and deportation project, we aim to support families facing this hellish scenario with legal advice and representation. Join us to hear from our legal managers, a family that’s experienced detention, a journalist responsible for breaking the “Windrush” story and campaigning MP David Lammy.
Date:
- Wednesday 22nd January 2019 at 6.00 pm
Venue:
- Linklaters LLP, One Silk Street, London EC2Y 8HQ
Programme:
- 6.00 pm Welcome and formal business of the AGM
- 6.15 pm Speakers
- 7.30 pm Drinks and food
There is no charge for this event but booking is essential. Click here to book or visit http://bit.ly/BIDBook. We will allocate seats on a first-come, first-served basis. The venue is wheelchair accessible. Travel expenses are payable for unwaged asylum seekers or migrants by prior arrangement – please contact Kamal on 020 7456 9753 to discuss.
