rhetoric IN JUNE the racist Asylum and Immigration Appeals Bill returns to the House of Commons for its third reading. When it becomes law the Act will introduce draconian measures against asylum seekers and refugees.
The bill is inextricably linked to the Maastricht process and brings British law in line with racist legislation in the rest of One of the worst requirements of the Bill, the introduction of fingerprinting of all asylum seekers, can be linked to the work of the TREVI group.
The TREVI (Terrorism, tremism, radicalism and international violence) group is a secret European policing forum attended by the security services and police including MI5.
Its sub committee the "Police working group on terrorism' Is currently working on a common intelligence database on refugees, asylum seekers, visa entrants and migrants trom the developing world settled within the EC.
Tony Bunyan, editor of Statewatch says 'it is no longer the Soviet threat and, internally the threat trom communists that concerns western governments: instead they are directing their resources oward the hird World, towards those countries who do not accept the New World Order.
Refugees who are •dissidents' in their country of origin become as a result "dissidents" within the EC, a fifth column, the Fingerprinting has been justified in the Commons as a measure to prevent "fraudulent multiple claims' for asylum, benefits and housing. This justification aids the process of criminalisation of asytum seekers in and of itself. but it obscures the real purpose of fingerprinting and the fact that officials will then be able to refuse asylum elsewhere in the EC. exThe Bill also means that if a visitor or studentapplies for asylum and the request is refused they will be imprisoned immediately and then deported. Government cuts in legal aid make the situation even worse.
in addition the Bill is retrospective. So anyone whose application is currently being considered - it can take as long as five years - will be subject to the new provisions Linked to the Bill is the recent Court or Aopeal decision instructing Local Authorities to report to the Home Office any illegal immigrants" applying to them for housing The DOE guidelines on homeless tamilies state that everyone is entitied to equal treatment unon immigration status is contidential.
Judges at an appeal brought by Tower Hamiets Council sald this was 'misleading and wrong' and overturned a High Court decision that immigration control is not a function of a local authority but solely of the Home Otfice.
Under the Asyium Bill if a local authority has 'reason to believe' that a homeless person is dil asyium secker ls will ou obliged to investigate that persons immigration status. If it is found that the person is an asylum seeker then they can only offer temporary accommodation.
The effect of this legislation and related disinformation in the media is to create the link that immigration equals criminality. or even terrorism.
It also fuels racist claims that asylum seekers are cheats and scroungers. This paves the way for more harassment and attacks on the rights of all refugees, asylum seekers and black people.
In the 1980s there were successful campaigns and action by trade unionists against the implementation of passport checks and attempts to introduce mternal controls. This has dropped off the agenda.
But it is not suiticient to onpose racism by parliamentary medis - no siemucant ditseno ments have been tabled to this Bill - or to focus the fight on getting Nazis off the streets.
The left must develop a united anti-racist and anti-fascist movement which fights racism at every level.