Acacia Center for Justice’s Post

The Texas Tribune #29March2024 : #Migrants #with #disabilities #struggle #to #access #the #US #asylum #system, #advocates #say "The #CBP #One #phone #app, which most migrants use #to #begin the U.S. #asylum #process, #isn’t #accessible #to #those #who #are #blind, #deaf, #have #mobility #issues, or #have #intellectual #disabilities, according to a #complaint."

A new report from UCLA Law Review examines the intersections between ableism, abolition, and the immigration system. "Standing on Our Own Two Feet: Disability Justice as a Frame for Reimagining Our Ableist Immigration System" is the first article to argue that dismantling ableism is a core element of the movement for immigrant justice, and disability justice principles can help identify the radical changes needed for transformation. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gPxfzcMc

BREAKING NEWS: Al Otro Lado joined with Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center, Texas Civil Rights Project, and The Sidewalk School for Children Asylum Seekers to submit  a complaint to the US Department of Homeland Security Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties demanding an immediate investigation into the disability rights violations of the CBP One app which has become a digital gatekeeper standing between migrants and their right to seek asylum in the United States. This glitch-ridden smartphone application, fraught with malfunctions and inaccessible features, has become an insurmountable barrier for countless individuals, particularly those with disabilities. “There is no legal theory or argument about operational capacity that CBP could use to justify the agency's refusal to provide accommodations to asylum seekers with disabilities, instead forcing them to wait for months on end in Mexican border cities regarded as among the most violent places in the world, in order to receive a processing appointment through a glitchy smartphone app, that on many days, is inoperable, and in many instances, may not even be usable by them as a result of their disabilities.” - Nicole Elizabeth Ramos, Al Otro Lado’s Border Rights Project Director. We refuse to stand idly by while vulnerable migrants, including those with disabilities, are denied their basic rights and will continue to pursue justice for those whose lives hang in the balance. It's time for the government to acknowledge that a malfunctioning app can never be a substitute for genuine and meaningful access to asylum.

Really great response by Migrants' Rights Network. Being in the employability sector, it’s common to hear things or pitch ourselves on the basis of “they have so much to contribute!” and various other statements. While the diverse skill set and experiences of refugees are beneficial to the UK economy, this is about dignity. Someone’s basic human rights should not be conditional on them being a “productive” member of society, or what they can bring to the table. The primary reason asylum seekers should be given the right to work is so they can financially support themselves, restart their careers and regain their dignity. Income is the foundation of stability. #asylumseekers #refugees #employability

Earlier this month, Aaron Bastani of Novara Media went on GB News to discuss the Right to Work for people seeking asylum. When speaking in support of people seeking asylum having the Right to Work earlier, he said that while people seeking asylum should have access to the NHS, they should have no recourse to public funds (#NRPF), including Job Seekers’ Allowance and disability benefit. We are incredibly concerned by the #ableism of this argument. Especially the part where he states that “it would be very strange for somebody to travel by foot from Iranian Kurdistan all the way to England and somehow say they’re not fit to work”. This is a clear misunderstanding of disability. #Disability is not confined to physical conditions and many people seeking asylum are disabled by the trauma they experience in their country of origin and/or on their journey to the UK. Many people with physical disabilities are also forced to travel strenuous and inaccessible migration routes due to the complete lack of safe routes. We also challenge the notion he raised that people seeking asylum who will be “a net contributor” want to work but are not being allowed to. Again, this excludes many disabled migrants who cannot work by linking worth and inclusion in our society with being financially productive to the economy. We must move away from language that presents migrants, including people seeking asylum, as being a ‘drain’ on the State or the economy - language that harms all disabled people, who are working-class, or who otherwise cannot participate in society in the way capitalist, ableist society demands. Particularly when disabled people, including migrants, are being forced into inaccessible living situations and denied financial aid unless they are employed, it is essential that this language is rejected. Check out our work on the relationship between disability, ableism and #migration as part of our #WhoIsWelcome campaign: https://lnkd.in/eRpqUeJS

"The eldest is now in the UK child protection system. Guardian Australia understands the foster carers also wish to relinquish care of the younger child to the UK system." ==> Australian State and Federal Governments do not obey their responsibilities under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT / The Crown) website, 30 April 2023 (Australia’s commitment to human rights | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au)) “Australia's commitment to human rights is enduring: we were an original signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. We have been a leading proponent of its consistent and comprehensive implementation. Protection and promotion of the human rights encapsulated in the Declaration is vital to global efforts to achieve lasting peace and security, and freedom and dignity for all.” But this isn't true. The Australian Government is using children and families as weapons, for political purposes, against people like me, and my family and loved ones, because it is jealous of my ancestors' achievements and by my own achievements and it is threatened by them, including because our most senior politicians and ultra wealthy oligarchs have engaged in very serious systemic corruption. And they use the law against Aboriginal tribes and families, because it feels threatened by their status as Australia's First Nations and it doesn't want to recognise that people like my ancestors were able to sneak language into the Australian Constitution to defend the native title rights of Aboriginal tribes, including their rights to water on our dry continent. So, it attacks us. It attacks our rights to a family life. It makes up lies, separates us from our families, and engages in criminal behaviour to make us look bad. It engages in human trafficking in all sorts of horrible ways. It sends indigenous children to adult prisons where they face terrible risks of exploitation including of rape. It engages in Premier Daniel Andrews style "dig up dirt" campaigns, with Anthony Albanese freely telling everyone that he backs (now former Premier Andrews) all the way. And, at the same time, it refuses to hold politicians accountable, including corrupt politicians in Victoria and WA and Tasmania ... for their role in the betrayal of our constitutional rights and the systematic abuse of everyday Australian people ... adults as well as children. And here it is again, allowing the bureaucracy to drag out returning these children to their families, their communities, and to their culture. It is another example of state-sponsored genocide by thousands upon thousands of cuts over more than two hundred years. I haven't seen my partner in more than 6 years. I'm in a state-mandated relationship on the other side of the country from my family. I'm being held as an economic hostage because I'm blocked from continuing my career. https://lnkd.in/gxdC9mtb

With an estimated 16,400 people living in modern slavery in NSW, we know that the vast majority of victim/survivors currently go unidentified. Frontline service providers in healthcare, community services, law enforcement, and education, can play an essential role in identifying and supporting people experiencing or at risk of modern slavery. Exploring this issue with Illawarra and Shoalhaven-based service providers at a workshop recently, we discussed how local service providers can work together to better identify modern slavery and capture statistical insights to monitor vulnerabilities in the area. The vulnerabilities of international students and temporary migrant workers remain of particular concern, especially as many temporary visa holders are not eligible for a range of support services in Australia. A clear need exists for innovation in both resourcing and policy to ensure temporary visas holders can access essential services. We are grateful for the robust engagement of service providers from the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra, Services Australia, Australian Department of Home Affairs, Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW Inc (MDAA), @Southern Youth and Family Services, Legal Aid NSW, Wollongong Homeless Hub & Housing Services, Health Cities, and Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network (ACAN) who attended the session. Thank you, Vimala Colless from the Wollongong City Council for hosting us. Read more about the Commissioner's Illawarra visit: https://lnkd.in/gcWruPdq

✍ ECRE Legal Note: The Rights of Refugees and Asylum Applicants With Disabilities 🔵 The note aims to present challenges associated with the nature and the application of Article 26 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFREU), which stipulates that the EU recognises and respects the rights of persons with disabilities to benefit from measures designed to ensure their independence, social and occupational integration, and participation in the life of the community. 🔵 It analyses the potential for a more protective interpretation of the current legal standards within the EU and the international legal framework. It focuses on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which has been ratified by all EU Member States and the EU itself, to identify relevant guarantees for asylum applicants and refugees with disabilities, and in connection with the content of Article 26 CFREU. 🔵 It also examines the relevant guarantees against discrimination as identified by the CRPD Committee in its interpretation of Article 5 CRPD and provides an overview of the applicability of Article 21 CFREU in situations involving unequal access to rights for refugees and asylum applicants. 👉 The note concludes that litigation advancing the rights of asylum applicants and refugees with disabilities is necessary to ensure compliance with existing standards, challenge discriminatory perceptions, policies, and practices, and promote specialised protection. 👉 Finally, It indicates that, while refugees and asylum applicants’ experiences are often discussed with respect to their vulnerability, rights-based litigation can shift that perception to focus on their dignity, itself a Union founding value and a Charter right. Read the Full Legal Note here 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ectfY9wz

BREAKING NEWS: Al Otro Lado, the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center, and Texas Civil Rights Project, have filed a lawsuit compelling Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to release information on its policies and practices relating to CBP One and its adherence to laws preventing discrimination based on disability. CBP One, the error-ridden smartphone application that asylum seekers are forced to use in order to request asylum in the U.S., is fraught with malfunctions and inaccessible features and is an insurmountable barrier for countless people, especially those with disabilities. Getting an appointment can take up to seven months, leaving vulnerable asylum seekers trapped along the border in some of the most dangerous cities in the world. CBP One also requires a high level of technological proficiency to install and use. Al Otro Lado has worked with clients with schizophrenia, blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, and intellectual and developmental disabilities because their disability prevented them from successfully using the app. For them, getting a CBP One appointment so that they may seek asylum in the U.S. is practically impossible. Our lawsuit against CBP is a pivotal action to safeguard the rights of people with disabilities and to ensure government accountability and transparency. The right to save one’s life shouldn’t depend on a glitchy app or one’s physical or mental capabilities. Full stop. Link to the filing can be viewed here: https://lnkd.in/gEpXhdtT

EPIC's submission to the public consultation on the National Strategy for Migrant Integration was made on behalf of the children and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds and unaccompanied minors in care and aftercare with whom we work. Our recommendations include: Support measures to recruit foster carers from ethnic minorities ✅ Improve accommodation for unaccompanied minors seeking international protection that are ageing out of care ✅ Create the conditions for informed participation of unaccompanied minors in care and decision-making ✅ Ensure adequate resource allocation to the Tusla - Child and Family Agency to respond to the increase in unaccompanied minors seeking international protection ✅ Uphold the equity of care principle for unaccompanied minors ✅ Investment in youth work and participation ✅ #CareAware