We are writing from England to ask you to sign our Asylum from Rape Petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/afrsep08/petition.html) demanding the official recognition of rape as torture and persecution. Since its launch in 2006 many thousands of people have signed the hard copy version including UK journalists Caroline Moorhead and Victoria Brittain, lawyer Gareth Peirce, actress Juliet Stevenson and poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

Proposed new immigration law in Britain “Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill” includes proposals to restrict access to Judicial Reviews in the High Courts which if passed will have a devastating impact on the asylum claims of survivors of rape and other torture. Research shows that over 50% of women seeking asylum in the UK are rape survivors. Yet women are routinely denied legal representation, treated with disbelief and even hostility, subject to immigration “swoops” and dawn raids, left destitute, detained contrary to government guidelines[1] and then deported without their claims being fully heard. Research by Legal Action for Women[2] on Yarl’s Wood Immgation Removal Centre found that 70% of women detained are rape survivors. Over 12% were on the “fast-track system”, where decisions are made within days, leaving no time to gather expert evidence which can make a crucial difference to the outcome of claims heard by often callous and discriminatory immigration judges.[3]

Women are spearheading the movement for asylum rights and exposing the hidden atrocities in the asylum process and the sexism and racism that many face. This self-help activity has encouraged opposition from many quarters, including high level protests against the detention of children and vulnerable people.

Our petition is one way of informing people about who flees their country to seekasylum and why, and a tool to demand change which we hope you will support by signing as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Cristel Amiss
Black Women’s Rape Action Project
Crossroads Women’s Centre, 230a Kentish Town Road, London, England NW5 2AB
bwrap@dircon.co.uk
Tel: 0044 207482 2496

I will link to this on my blog!

Thank you for blowing the trumpet!

Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa