Nearly 90,000 children sought asylum in Europe in 2015

source: The Independent
published: 3 May 2016

Nearly 90,000 unaccompanied children sought asylum in Europe in 2015, fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa to reach a place of safety.

According to the latest EU data, 13 per cent of the applicants were younger than 14, travelling without their parents to the EU.

Statistics agency Eurostat said the number of unaccompanied minors has quadrupled since 2014.

EU leaders disagree on how to handle Europe’s migration crisis, with anti-immigration sentiment growing even in countries that traditionally supported helping people seek refuge.

3 April 201621 December 2022 4WardEverUK

We need to talk about police brutality in the UK

Sean Rigg restrained by Metropolitan police officers — Sean Rigg died under restraint by Metropolitan police officers

source: The Fader
published: 29 March 2016

‘1500 And Counting‘ – The abuse of black British people by police is often overlooked, but a new film is set to break the silence.

On 11 January 2016, Sarah Reed, a vulnerable 32-year-old woman suffering with mental health issues, was found dead in her cell in north London’s Holloway prison, where she was on remand awaiting trial.

Throughout her life, she had been a victim of failings by the British state: in October 2012, she reported being sexually assaulted while being detained under the Mental Health Act, and in November 2012 she was ruthlessly beaten up by a police officer, with the attack caught on camera.

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24 November 201520 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Ms Dhu’s family calls for end to jail for fines as death in custody inquest begins

source: The Guardian
published: 23 November 2015

The family of Aboriginal woman Ms Dhu, who died while paying off a fine by serving time in police cells, has called for an end to the practice of jailing people for unpaid fines.

Ms Dhu, a 22-year-old Yamatji woman whose full name is not used for cultural reasons, was found unresponsive in a cell at the South Hedland police station on 4 August, 2014. An inquest into her death began in Perth on Monday.

She had been taken into custody four days earlier because she had about $1,000 in unpaid fines, and had twice been taken to hospital and returned to her cell after complaining of severe stomach pains.