Latest news with #AmnestyInternationalUK
Irish Examiner
03-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Northern Ireland journalists face attacks and death threats, says Amnesty report
Journalists in Northern Ireland routinely face attacks and death threats from paramilitary and organised crime groups that act with impunity, according to Amnesty International. Reporters have been physically assaulted and told they will be shot, stabbed, raped or blown up, making Northern Ireland the most dangerous place in the UK for journalism, a report said on Tuesday. It documented more than 70 attacks and threats since 2019 but found there were no prosecutions for threats from paramilitary groups, the most significant source of the intimidation. 'Journalists in Northern Ireland are facing a sustained campaign of threats, intimidation and violence from armed groups, which makes it the most dangerous place in the UK to be a reporter,' said Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International UK's Northern Ireland director. 'They are being threatened, attacked and even killed for shining a light on paramilitary groups and others who seek to exert control through violence. This creates a climate of fear that many assumed was consigned to history when the Good Friday agreement was signed.' The lack of prosecutions has emboldened paramilitaries – loyalist and republican – and fostered a sense of impunity, Corrigan said. 'When journalists are under attack, press freedom is under attack. The state must create a safe environment where journalists can work freely and report without fear of reprisals. It is currently failing to do so.' Journalists' cars have been damaged – in some cases battered with poles laced with nails – and some reporters have been given ultimatums to leave Northern Ireland. Two journalists have been killed, Lyra McKee in 2019 and Martin O'Hagan in 2001. Some of those interviewed for the 96-page report, titled Occupational Hazard? Threats and Violence Against Journalists in Northern Ireland said they had protected their homes with bulletproof windows and doors and alarms linked to police stations. Police visited Allison Morris, the Belfast Telegraph's crime correspondent, nine times between December 2023 and October 2024 to warn about threats from paramilitary or criminal groups. 'I'm convinced someone's going to kill me at some point,' said Morris. 'I always think I'll never die of natural causes. Most of the time, I pretend that the threats don't annoy me, but clearly, they do. This is not a normal way to live.' The report urged the Stormont administration to establish a media safety group, comprising police, prosecutors and journalists and urged the police to review the procedural response to threats and to pursue investigations that lead to successful prosecutions. Ch Supt Sam Donaldson said the Police Service of Northern Ireland took journalism safety seriously and would consider the report and its recommendations. In recent years the PSNI has developed a joint strategy with local editors and the National Union of Journalists, said Donaldson. 'Journalists do not have to tolerate threats and crimes as part of their role. That has been our recent, consistent message.' Seamus Dooley, the NUJ's assistant general secretary, said it was not normal that journalists lived in fear decades after the Troubles, adding: 'That really is not the sign of a normal functioning democracy.' - The Guardian Read More Income gap widened significantly under previous Government, new report finds
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
PM warned disability benefit cuts 'impossible to support' by over 40 Labour MPs
In a letter the group of 42 MPs said the planned cuts to disability benefits represent the 'biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity' Keir Starmer has been warned by over 40 Labour MPs planned welfare cuts are "impossible to support". The £5billion in cuts, proposed in March, would see a tightening of eligibility criteria for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - a key disability benefit. But in a letter the group of 42 MPs said it represents the "biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity". They warned the proposals had "caused a huge amount of anxiety and concern among disabled people and their families" and called for a delay. They added: "Without a change in direction, the green paper will be impossible to support." The Mirror understands a separate letter could also go to the PM and the Chief Whip in the coming days - highlighting the scale of upset among Labour MPs. It means Mr Starmer could face the biggest revolt of his leadership so far next month when MPs are set to vote on cuts to PIP benefits. Labour MP Steve Witherden, who signed today's letter, told The Mirror: 'My constituents voted for a fresh start, not a fresh round of austerity. The cuts will hit Wales particularly hard and they will hit my constituents particularly hard too. I cannot conscionably support the stripping of benefits from the country's most vulnerable to satisfy some arbitrary fiscal rules, especially when other choices exist. 'The alternatives to austerity are open to us. If the choice is between properly taxing extreme wealth or pushing disabled people further into poverty, it seems clear to me what the government should do.' Jen Clark, economic, social and cultural rights lead at Amnesty International UK said: "By taking a stand against these deliberately retrogressive and discriminatory cuts, these MPs are not just standing up for their constituents who are impacted, they are standing up for the principle that social security is a human right. "No government should try to justify further impoverishing people because they wish to balance the books. There are other choices available that don't target those already struggling to put food on the table." A DWP source said: "At the heart of these reforms is a determination to help more people into work. We understand that there are concerns. The Secretary of State is engaging and talking to colleagues, explaining why these reforms will help transform people's lives."
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump's first 100 days supercharged a global ‘freefall of rights', says Amnesty
The first 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency have 'supercharged' a global rollback of human rights, pushing the world towards an authoritarian era defined by impunity and unchecked corporate power, Amnesty International warns today. In its annual report on the state of human rights in 150 countries, the organisation said the immediate ramifications of Trump's second term had been the undermining of decades of progress and the emboldening of authoritarian leaders. Describing a 'freefall' in human rights, the report said growing inaction over the climate crisis, violent crackdowns on dissent and a mounting backlash against the rights of migrants, refugees, women, girls and LGBTQ+ people could be traced to the so-called Trump effect. Amnesty warned the situation would deteriorate further this year as Trump continued to dismantle the rules-based world order that Washington helped to build from the devastation of the second world war. Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive, described the US president's swift and deliberate targeting of international institutions designed to make the world safer and fairer as 'terrifying'. 'You look forward to the end of this decade and wonder whether the basic frameworks and underpinnings of not just human rights but international law will still be standing. You probably haven't been able to say that since 1935,' he said. Amnesty's report also documents how mass arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and lethal force are becoming increasingly widespread tools of repression. In Bangladesh, 'shoot-on-sight' orders during student protests led to hundreds of deaths; Mozambique's disputed elections similarly sparked a deadly crackdown; and Turkey also imposed draconian bans on demonstrations. The report also identified global inaction as an area of concern, particularly in relation to Sudan's ruinous civil war. One of the warring sides there, the Rapid Support Forces, has been accused of repeatedly carrying out mass sexual violence against women and girls yet international action remains muted. Trump's sweeping foreign aid cuts had made conditions worse across the world, Amnesty said, closing crucial programmes in states such as Yemen and Syria, leaving children and survivors of conflict without access to food, shelter or healthcare. Amnesty also raised concerns over failures to uphold international humanitarian law, citing Israel's military operations in Gaza. In Europe, Amnesty said Russia killed more Ukrainian civilians in 2024 than the previous year and continued to target non-military infrastructure. Trump is proposing that Ukraine cede territory to Russia as part of peace proposals dismissed as appeasement by critics. Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International's secretary general, said: 'Trump has shown only utter contempt for universal human rights – emboldening anti-rights movements worldwide and letting corporate allies run amok.' Looking further ahead, the report warned that governments risked failing future generations on the climate, economic inequality and corporate power. It cited the collapse of the UN's Cop29 climate conference, under fossil-fuel corporations' influence, while rich countries 'bullied' low-income nations into accepting inadequate climate financing. Trump's exit from the crucial Paris climate agreement threatened 'to drag others with him', Amnesty warned. Elsewhere, against a backdrop of scapegoating migrants, 'billionaires gained wealth as global poverty reduction stalled', it said. Women, girls and LGBTQ+ people faced intensifying attacks in a number of countries including Afghanistan and Iran, while LGBTQ+ rights were targeted in Uganda, Georgia and Bulgaria. 'The Trump administration fanned the flames, cutting support for gender equality and dismantling protections for trans people and women globally,' Amnesty said.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Many ‘foreign' criminals are actually British
The Home Office's plan to publish data on the nationalities of people designated as 'foreign' criminals risks obscuring rather than shedding light on truth and injustice (Cooper 'pandering' to Farage by ordering publication of foreign criminals' nationalities, 22 April). Many people wrongly designated as foreign are born in this country, have always lived here and have the legal right to British citizenship. These individuals are as British as any of their peers, but due to their parents' immigration status, they were not automatically granted British citizenship at birth. Instead, they have needed someone to take steps to register their right from early childhood to that nationality. It would be far more useful if ministers considered collecting data on how many people legally entitled to British citizenship are still designated as 'foreign'. That data should include a racial context to help assess the disproportionate impact on Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities, fulfilling the government's obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Publishing nationality data as currently planned will misrepresent these individuals twice over – first, by labelling them as foreign, despite their deep ties to this country, and second, by associating them with countries with which have little or no connection. We urge the government to reconsider this approach and instead develop policies that respect and promote equality rather than fostering more misunderstanding and Valdez-SymondsCEO, Project for the Registration of Children as British CitizensSteve Valdez-SymondsProgramme director, Amnesty International UK Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Wales Online
26-04-2025
- General
- Wales Online
'If I worked full-time, I would be worse-off' Report lays bare cracks in Welsh social security
'If I worked full-time, I would be worse-off' Report lays bare cracks in Welsh social security The report alleges 'discrimination and dehumanisation' is rampant in UK's social security The report alleges claimants feel they are not treated with respect while trying to access benefits (Image: Philip Toscano/PA Wire ) A new report published by a leading global charity has raised significant questions about the access to social security systems across the UK, particularly in Wales. The report titled 'Social Insecurity' by Amnesty International UK consists of accounts from 700 benefit claimants from across the UK, including 34 from Wales, and advisors, and claims to take a 'deep dive into the murky and divisive world of the UK social security system.' The report points out that the rate of poverty in the UK is now higher than at any point in the 21st century. According to the Social Metrics Commission report, 16 million people or almost a quarter of the UK's population are living in families in poverty. This figure includes 5.2 million children, 9.2 working-age adults, and 1.5 million pension age adults. Article continues below Benefits claimants have said in the report that they feel they are mistreated at job centres (Image: PA ) When it comes to Wales, these figures become worse with a third of its children living their lives in poverty — with the figure projected to rise to 34.4% by the end of this decade. This would mean a further 32,000 Welsh children will be pushed into poverty. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here The new report alleges that 'discrimination and dehumanisation' is reported to rife in access to benefits. It claims to deliver 'damning conclusions on how the system processes, punishes, harms and dehumanises people and fails to meet international legal obligations.' Nicola who is from Port Talbot has three children including a girl, and twin boys. She has been receiving Universal Credit for nearly 5 years, and has recently applied for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) . She said: 'At first, I found Universal Credit quite helpful. I had an advanced payment when I moved into a new home and that helped. But I have found it hard since then. I managed to find a part-time job in a local school, but I'm still on UC because I don't earn enough money. 'If I worked full-time, I would be worse-off and I would have even less time to spend with my children. I am in debt because my day-to-day costs are too high.' Nicola added that she has been denied additional funding: 'I applied for PIP because I am hard of hearing, and it impacts my work - I can't hear when people are calling me or asking me for things. "However, I've been told I am not entitled to the amount I need so I am appealing that. I had help from my housing association to apply, but it was hard, and I struggle to keep on top of it all.' She went on to recount how strict rules regarding access to benefits have left her in debt. She said 'I've been sanctioned [reduction or suspension of benefits for failing to meet requirements of Claimant Commitment] before, when my daughter was little. My daughter was struggling with her emotions, so I took her for a drive to calm her down. 'Because I was driving and supporting my daughter, I missed a call and this meant that my payment was reduced for a month. Unfortunately, this meant I had to take out a credit card to afford my bills that month - and I am still paying that card off now.' This is not just the case with Nicola, as other claimants have also recounted how they have missed out on payments during strict rules. A claimant from Wales said: 'You're not allowed in that building until at least 5 minutes before your appointment, but if you're like, one minute late, you'll have a row. "But if you're, you know, 5 minutes early, you just, you wait. You go stand outside and wait. It's terrible. Even if it's raining, then they don't care. They don't care. It is shocking.' Another Welsh claimant explained how they were denied the use of a restroom They said: 'I was on water retention tablets. They would never let me use the toilet and I was on water medications. I said I'm gonna wet myself. They said I can't. And they were like, oh, we don't believe you. 'Luckily one of the women at the Job Centre knew because she'd seen me before, she said I could go but they made me walk to the nearest Tesco, even though I had proof.' Claimants in Wales have also raised concerns about how they are treated at some of the job centres, as a claimant explained: 'They speak to you like crap for a start. So then somebody like me that has like mental health conditions, quite serious. "They'll speak down to me. Which isn't good because it makes me not want to talk to them and I just don't want the money, I just want to leave. I shake and I stutter and everything.' Another Welsh claimant told how they were sanctioned because they had work: 'I've been sanctioned loads of time because I'm working. Borrowed off my sister and mother. Without them I would probably be dead in the gutter because I couldn't afford to live.' Nicola adds that the way people are treated by the DWP needs to change: 'If I could change anything it would be the way they chase people - like when I'm working, they chase me to come in for meetings every couple of weeks. It is so stressful because I finish work, then go to the job centre and then have to rush home to the kids.' Explaining how support from Universal Credit falls short, she said: 'There isn't enough support from Universal Credit and so now I'm in debt and I won't be able to pay it off for years, but honestly, I am one of the lucky ones because I have family and friends helping me. Without that, I don't know how I would put food on the table for the kids. 'This month, I can't pay anything because I need to buy the summer uniforms for my children - so I have applied for help so I can pay off what I can but it isn't enough. I hope when the kids are older, I can get more hours or a better job.' Sanctions or deductions have an adverse effect on people depending on benefits according to the report. From the report, 23% out of the 700 claimants interviewed across the UKhad experienced being sanctioned of having a deduction. Of these, 78% of people said it worsened their mental health, 55% said they reduced the food they ate, 35% went without food, 47% of people said that it worsened their physical health and 44% of people said they were forced to borrow money to make ends meet. Policy Lead for Wales at Amnesty International UK, Glenn Page added that people in Wales are having to make 'impossible choices'. He said: 'Lives are being ruined by a system that is consciously cruel – it erodes dignity by design. We are in a state of severe human rights violations. The social security system is impenetrable, inadequate, and for some completely inaccessible. It is forcing people across Wales to make impossible choices and denying their basic rights.' 'There can be no tinkering of the system – it has gone too far, and it is too late. There must be full reform. It is broken from start to finish and intentionally sets people up to fail. No-one would want political choices in this country to deliberately diminish dignity and perpetuate poverty.' He added: 'We need a landmark, independent Social Security Commission with statutory powers to overhaul the UK's broken benefits system. It must be rooted in dignity and human rights and designed by and for the people. This must protect us all – be that today or in the future where we all may need it.' Government's response A government spokesperson said: "We inherited a fundamentally broken welfare system which does not work for the people it is supposed to support. That's why, as we secure Britain's future through our Plan for Change, our reforms to health and disability benefits will ensure the welfare system is there to protect those who need it most. "We are also unlocking opportunities for sick and disabled people through our £1bn employment support package, and we've also increased the Living Wage, boosted benefits, and extended the Household Support Fund for another year to help low-incomes families with the cost of essentials, as well as protecting pensioners through our commitment to the triple lock." The government also claims that it has "layers of support" in place for DWP to carry out its core functions while people who are vulnerable or have complex needs have the right support measures put in place for them. It insists that one of the department's core values is "we care", and that the department is embedding a culture and practice that strives to provides the best for the people we serve. About sanctions: Claimants are generally expected to undertake certain activities in return for financial support through the benefit system. To ensure the conditionality requirements for those on work-related benefits are realistic and achievable, they are based on the claimant's' capabilities and household circumstances, including any caring responsibilities, health issues, earnings, and ongoing work or volunteering. A sanction is only applicable where a claimant fails to meet their agreed work-related requirements without demonstrating good reason for doing so. Before any referral for a sanction decision is made, checks are performed to ensure they are appropriate, and that their circumstances have been taken into consideration. Article continues below
