Latest news with #FreedomFromTorture
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UK universities are at risk of training torturers
Across the UK, pro-Palestinian protests in reaction to the war in Gaza have placed universities' response to human rights concerns under the spotlight. But concerns about links between Britain's higher education institutions and human rights abuses are not limited to one area. A new investigation by Freedom from Torture has found that UK universities are offering postgraduate security and counterterrorism education to members of foreign security forces, including those serving some of the world's most repressive regimes. These institutions are offering training to state agents without scrutinising their human rights records, or pausing to consider how British expertise might end up being exploited to silence, surveil or torture. The investigation reveals that British universities may not just be turning a blind eye to human rights abuses, but could also be at risk of training some of the abusers. Some universities have even partnered directly with overseas police forces known for widespread abuses to deliver in-country teaching. Others have welcomed individuals on to courses designed for serving security professionals from countries where torture is a standard tool of state control. All of this is happening with virtually no oversight of the risks to human rights. These are not abstract concerns. They raise serious, immediate questions. What happens when the covert surveillance techniques taught in British classrooms are later used to hunt down dissidents? Why are universities not investigating the backgrounds of applicants from regimes where 'counterterrorism' is a common pretext for torture and arbitrary detention? Freedom from Torture's investigation found that universities across the UK are accepting applicants for security education from some of the world's most repressive states. Yet just one university in the study said they are screening out applicants who they believed have either engaged in human rights violations or 'intend to'. Torture survivors in the UK have spoken out about their shock that members of the security forces from countries they have fled can access UK security education without meaningful human rights checks. British universities, long considered beacons of liberal values and intellectual freedom, appear to be overlooking the fact that the knowledge they produce may be used to further oppression and state violence. Meanwhile, student activists across the country are staunchly positioning themselves as stakeholders in their university's human rights records. The recent Gaza protests indicate that that when students believe universities' conduct does not align with their values, they won't hesitate to hold them accountable. Across the world, the global student body has a rich history of activism. From anti-apartheid solidarity campaigns to the student protests that sparked Myanmar's 1988 uprising, young people have long stood at the front lines of struggles against repression. Today's generation – often described as the most socially conscious and globally connected in history – is no different. It shouldn't come as a surprise to universities that their human rights performance is a hot topic for the young people they serve. In the corporate world, businesses are now routinely judged on their human rights records. Terms like 'ethical sourcing,' 'responsible investment,' and 'human rights due diligence' are standard parts of doing business. Universities, which pride themselves on being forward-thinking and socially responsible, should be held to no lower standard. The fact that many have no policy at all on overseas human rights risks is indefensible. It's time for that to change. Torture survivors seeking safety in the UK should not have to worry that the nation's educational institutions are offering training to the security forces of the very regimes they fled. Universities should be able to provide reassurance to anyone expressing real concern, whether that is those with lived experience of the most terrible abuses of power, or their own students. In order to do this the university sector must get its house in order. This starts with adopting transparent human rights policies across the sector and undertaking effective due diligence to manage risks to human rights. Failure to take these necessary steps leaves the sector at risk of contributing, however unintentionally, to global human rights violations. Universities must ask themselves: Who is sitting in our classrooms? Who benefits from our training? And what consequences might flow from what we teach? These are amongst the many urgent questions, but not ones the sector appears to be asking. UK universities must take meaningful steps to ensure they avoid inadvertently sharpening the tools of global repression and move towards building a human rights record they can be proud of. Not only will it appeal to a new generation of activist students, but it's the right thing to do. *Full details of FfT's investigation, including responses from universities, can be found here. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
The Independent
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Call for protection to stop parents being ‘punished' over Channel crossings
Campaigners are calling for stronger protections to prevent parents being punished for trying to seek sanctuary with their children under a new offence over English Channel crossings. Those who endanger or risk another life at sea during the dangerous journeys could face five years in jail as part of Government plans to curb crossings and crack down on people smugglers. According to the Home Office, the offence is to stop more people being crammed into unsafe boats and would apply to those involved in physical aggression and intimidation, as well as anyone who resists rescue. But the clause laid out in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently going through Parliament has been described as 'ill-defined' and could apply to a wide range of conduct beyond violence. Regardless of any reassurances from ministers, charity Freedom From Torture has raised concerns that any future government would be 'free to apply this clause broadly'. The draft law reads of the offence where a person 'did an act that caused, or created a risk of, the death of, or serious personal injury to, another person'. This could include physical or psychological injury, and covers journeys by water to the UK from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Campaigners believe 'at the very least' the offence should be amended to clearly define the acts being criminalised. Sile Reynolds, head of asylum advocacy at Freedom From Torture, told the PA news agency: 'If this Bill goes through, the Government risks punishing parents rather than protecting families seeking sanctuary. 'We're gravely concerned that the offences in the Bill are so broad they'll catch everyone in the same drag net. 'What's deeply disturbing is that the Government itself has recognised this could result in the prosecution of parents who make the unbearably difficult decision to bring their children on these dangerous journeys to reach safety in the UK.' In the Bill's document on the European Convention on Human Rights, it reads that while it is 'very unlikely', there is 'no absolute bar' to prosecuting parents who have taken children on these journeys, which could result in the break-up of families. It said any decision to prosecute a parent would be made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on a case-by-case basis, and CPS policy is normally not to prosecute parents, and therefore is an 'appropriate safeguard'. A refugee mother who fled torture at the hands of her family in Iraq with her children said the Bill will 'never stop' people from coming if violence and conflict continues in their home countries. In comments shared through Freedom From Torture, Gulan, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'We want to keep our children safe, but there aren't enough safe ways to escape. 'Instead of making things harder, the Government should create safe routes for families. It's really sad that we aren't getting full help to escape from danger.' The mother-of-two escaped when her youngest child was five, after being locked up and tortured by her family, who said they would kill her for falling in love with a man from another religion. She embarked on a nine-month 'terrifying' journey where she did not know their destination until authorities took them in once they arrived in Dover. 'We left everything behind to save my children, as there was no protection for us,' she said. Gulan described how they were sold by smugglers to other smugglers once they reached specific locations and were not allowed to ask questions or find out where they were going. 'It was terrifying and depressing, and I don't want to remember it as it was another trauma layered on top of the violence we had experienced at home,' she added. Eventually, she said in France the smuggler told them to sneak into the back of an overcrowded lorry heading for a goods boat. She said since arriving in the UK her family have 'integrated into the community and found happiness'. Ahlam Souidi, who runs Freedom From Torture's Women Together group for survivors, which includes Gulan, said of the women: 'They identify as victims – not criminals – and they believe it is essential that they are supported in rebuilding their lives, not punished and victimised for a second time. 'They urge us to consider the reality of their situations – what would you do if you were in their shoes? 'These are the realities that must be acknowledged and addressed with urgency. ' A Home Office spokesman said the upcoming law will secure Britain's borders by strengthening law enforcement's ability to identify, disrupt and prevent organised immigration crime faster and more effectively. 'The endangerment offence in the Bill is targeted solely at those individuals who put the safety and lives of others at risk during dangerous Channel crossings, something that no responsible parent would ever do to their child,' the spokesman added. 'As normal, prosecutors will look at all factors when considering a case.'
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Call for protection to stop parents being ‘punished' over Channel crossings
Campaigners are calling for stronger protections to prevent parents being punished for trying to seek sanctuary with their children under a new offence over English Channel crossings. Those who endanger or risk another life at sea during the dangerous journeys could face five years in jail as part of Government plans to curb crossings and crack down on people smugglers. According to the Home Office, the offence is to stop more people being crammed into unsafe boats and would apply to those involved in physical aggression and intimidation, as well as anyone who resists rescue. But the clause laid out in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently going through Parliament has been described as 'ill-defined' and could apply to a wide range of conduct beyond violence. Regardless of any reassurances from ministers, charity Freedom From Torture has raised concerns that any future government would be 'free to apply this clause broadly'. The draft law reads of the offence where a person 'did an act that caused, or created a risk of, the death of, or serious personal injury to, another person'. This could include physical or psychological injury, and covers journeys by water to the UK from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Campaigners believe 'at the very least' the offence should be amended to clearly define the acts being criminalised. Sile Reynolds, head of asylum advocacy at Freedom From Torture, told the PA news agency: 'If this Bill goes through, the Government risks punishing parents rather than protecting families seeking sanctuary. 'We're gravely concerned that the offences in the Bill are so broad they'll catch everyone in the same drag net. 'What's deeply disturbing is that the Government itself has recognised this could result in the prosecution of parents who make the unbearably difficult decision to bring their children on these dangerous journeys to reach safety in the UK.' In the Bill's document on the European Convention on Human Rights, it reads that while it is 'very unlikely', there is 'no absolute bar' to prosecuting parents who have taken children on these journeys, which could result in the break-up of families. It said any decision to prosecute a parent would be made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on a case-by-case basis, and CPS policy is normally not to prosecute parents, and therefore is an 'appropriate safeguard'. A refugee mother who fled torture at the hands of her family in Iraq with her children said the Bill will 'never stop' people from coming if violence and conflict continues in their home countries. In comments shared through Freedom From Torture, Gulan, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'We want to keep our children safe, but there aren't enough safe ways to escape. 'Instead of making things harder, the Government should create safe routes for families. It's really sad that we aren't getting full help to escape from danger.' The mother-of-two escaped when her youngest child was five, after being locked up and tortured by her family, who said they would kill her for falling in love with a man from another religion. She embarked on a nine-month 'terrifying' journey where she did not know their destination until authorities took them in once they arrived in Dover. 'We left everything behind to save my children, as there was no protection for us,' she said. Gulan described how they were sold by smugglers to other smugglers once they reached specific locations and were not allowed to ask questions or find out where they were going. 'It was terrifying and depressing, and I don't want to remember it as it was another trauma layered on top of the violence we had experienced at home,' she added. Eventually, she said in France the smuggler told them to sneak into the back of an overcrowded lorry heading for a goods boat. She said since arriving in the UK her family have 'integrated into the community and found happiness'. Ahlam Souidi, who runs Freedom From Torture's Women Together group for survivors, which includes Gulan, said of the women: 'They identify as victims – not criminals – and they believe it is essential that they are supported in rebuilding their lives, not punished and victimised for a second time. 'They urge us to consider the reality of their situations – what would you do if you were in their shoes? 'These are the realities that must be acknowledged and addressed with urgency. ' A Home Office spokesman said the upcoming law will secure Britain's borders by strengthening law enforcement's ability to identify, disrupt and prevent organised immigration crime faster and more effectively. 'The endangerment offence in the Bill is targeted solely at those individuals who put the safety and lives of others at risk during dangerous Channel crossings, something that no responsible parent would ever do to their child,' the spokesman added. 'As normal, prosecutors will look at all factors when considering a case.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Has Channel 4 immigration show branded toxic changed anyone's mind?
"In 10 years' time, Britain is going to be full of people wearing burqas. "Islam will have taken over." Chloe Dobbs' first words on Channel 4 reality show Go Back To Where You Came From didn't leave much room for doubt. The 24-year-old YouTuber and conservative political commentator from Cornwall knows her opinions were "controversial". So was the programme. Some charities accused it of platforming "toxic views" and giving a distorted idea of what refugees really go through. But after being thrown in with five other Brits - all with differing views on immigration - has it altered anyone's thinking? In the four-part series, filmed in May and June 2024, participants were split into two groups - one travelling from Syria, one from Somalia. They spent weeks, accompanied by security teams, following the same routes refugees from Somalia and Syria use to reach the UK. Recent figures from the government suggest that more than 5,000 Syrians applied for asylum in the UK in the year ending September 2024, with 940 applications from Somalians. In the same time period, 3,385 people arriving from Syria came on small boats - the third most common nationality to come to the UK this way. The charity Freedom From Torture criticised the show as "dehumanising and downright dangerous". It said genuine refugees would not have the same resources and the programme could "never truly convey the unpredictability and the danger of what that journey actually feels like". Chloe travelled back to the UK from Syria, where the UN estimates 14 million people were forced to flee their homes after the outbreak of civil war in 2011. In the series, she was seen clashing with fellow Brit Bushra Shaikh, who had a more sympathetic attitude towards migrants and refugees. Since returning to the UK Chloe says she's able to see the crisis more from her point of view. "Purgatory is the word that I would use to describe the situation that so many people are in," says Chloe, having now seen the crisis close-up. "We saw a lot of really heartbreaking stuff." Meanwhile, Mathilda Mallinson travelled to Somalia. The 29-year-old journalist from London has previous experience working in refugee camps and tells Newsbeat she "wasn't expecting to have my views on immigration drastically changed". But by spending so much time with the other participants, she says she has learned to be more understanding of different points of view. "I really don't think that polarised, heated, angry debate gets anyone closer to the middle ground," she says. "A key part of the journey for me was just listening to the reasons that people feel different ways. "I was never going to be the person who helped them see... that was going to come from meeting refugees themselves." Both Chloe and Mathilda agree that more needs to be done to build a better understanding of the migrant crisis in the UK. "The bit that the media focuses on generally is the crossing from France to Britain," says Chloe. "It's very easy to think, if you just watch the news in the UK, that all of the displaced people in the world, they're all coming to Britain. "When actually there are millions and millions of people elsewhere in the world." Mathilda agrees, saying she was taken aback by the scale of the problem away from Europe, which she rarely sees reported. "It was so overwhelming to see the scale of the displacement crisis," she says of when they visited Dadaab in Kenya, formerly the world's largest refugee camp. "This is what we need to see more of in our storytelling in our coverage of the refugee crisis, because it really helps to put into proportion what we are dealing with in the UK and and in Europe." 'I would jump on the boat' says ex anti-immigration campaigner 'I replicated a refugee's journey for a TV show' How many people cross the Channel in small boats? Now back in the UK, Chloe says she received "hateful messages" when the show aired but her experience has definitely changed her views "on a lot of things". She says she hasn't done a "full 180" from where she started and still advocates for "very strong vetting processes" for migrants who want to come to the UK legally. But, she says: "I started to really see these people, rather than just as criminals, as human beings who are in absolutely heartbreaking situation." "It definitely gave me a heck of a lot more empathy for what people are going through." Channel 4 has been approached for comment on criticisms of the show. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Go Back To Where You Came From: Has it changed anyone's mind?
"In 10 years' time, Britain is going to be full of people wearing burqas."Islam will have taken over."Chloe Dobbs' first words on Channel 4 reality show Go Back To Where You Came From didn't leave much room for 24-year-old YouTuber and conservative political commentator from Cornwall knows her opinions were "controversial".So was the programme. Some charities accused it of platforming "toxic views" and giving a distorted idea of what refugees really go after being thrown in with five other Brits - all with differing views on immigration - has it altered anyone's thinking? In the four-part series, filmed in May and June 2024, participants were split into two groups - one travelling from Syria, one from spent weeks, accompanied by security teams, following the same routes refugees from Somalia and Syria use to reach the UK. Recent figures from the government suggest that more than 5,000 Syrians applied for asylum in the UK in the year ending September 2024, with 940 applications from Somalians. In the same time period, 3,385 people arriving from Syria came on small boats - the third most common nationality to come to the UK this way. The charity Freedom From Torture criticised the show as "dehumanising and downright dangerous".It said genuine refugees would not have the same resources and the programme could "never truly convey the unpredictability and the danger of what that journey actually feels like". 'Angry debates don't get us anywhere' Chloe travelled back to the UK from Syria, where the UN estimates 14 million people were forced to flee their homes after the outbreak of civil war in the series, she was seen clashing with fellow Brit Bushra Shaikh, who had a more sympathetic attitude towards migrants and returning to the UK Chloe says she's able to see the crisis more from her point of view. "Purgatory is the word that I would use to describe the situation that so many people are in," says Chloe, having now seen the crisis close-up."We saw a lot of really heartbreaking stuff."Meanwhile, Mathilda Manson travelled to Somalia. The 29-year-old journalist from London has previous experience working in refugee camps and tells Newsbeat she "wasn't expecting to have my views on immigration drastically changed".But by spending so much time with the other participants, she says she has learned to be more understanding of different points of view."I really don't think that polarised, heated, angry debate gets anyone closer to the middle ground," she says. "A key part of the journey for me was just listening to the reasons that people feel different ways."I was never going to be the person who helped them see... that was going to come from meeting refugees themselves." Both Chloe and Mathilda agree that more needs to be done to build a better understanding of the migrant crisis in the UK. "The bit that the media focuses on generally is the crossing from France to Britain," says Chloe. "It's very easy to think, if you just watch the news in the UK, that all of the displaced people in the world, they're all coming to Britain. "When actually there are millions and millions of people elsewhere in the world."Mathilda agrees, saying she was taken aback by the scale of the problem away from Europe, which she rarely sees reported."It was so overwhelming to see the scale of the displacement crisis," she says of when they visited Dadaab in Kenya, formerly the world's largest refugee camp."This is what we need to see more of in our storytelling in our coverage of the refugee crisis, because it really helps to put into proportion what we are dealing with in the UK and and in Europe." Now back in the UK, Chloe says she received "hateful messages" when the show aired but her experience has definitely changed her views "on a lot of things".She says she hasn't done a "full 180" from where she started and still advocates for "very strong vetting processes" for migrants who want to come to the UK she says: "I started to really see these people, rather than just as criminals, as human beings who are in absolutely heartbreaking situation.""It definitely gave me a heck of a lot more empathy for what people are going through."Channel 4 has been approached for comment on criticisms of the show. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
