Event: 'Actions Against Detention and for Migrant Rights' Protest
Outside Parliament
Place: Venue -St Stephens Gate Parliament
Called by:
Save-Our-Souls-Immigration-Discrimination (SOSID)
Jean with demonstrators outside Houses of Parliament
LONDON'S Green Party Euro-MP Jean Lambert has slammed the government's asylum policy as 'outrageous' and 'unjust' at a demonstration outside the House of Commons as part of an international day of action against detention of immigrants and asylum seekers.
Mrs Lambert, who joined demonstrators from across the UK calling for an end to detention of asylum seekers, said Government policy was based on a classic 'Catch-22' situation - closing 'legal' entry methods to asylum seekers and then denying applications from those migrants deemed to have entered the country illegally.
Mrs Lambert, who is a member of the European parliament's Civil Liberties and Petitions Committees, said: "So many asylum decisions now are being made on the basis of speed rather than accurate information - that's leading to a lot of wrong decisions being made.
"Neither the Home Office nor the European Commission has been able to give me a straight answer to the question ' how do you get here legally'. In the absence of a legal entry route for asylum seekers it's an outrageous injustice to use illegal entry as a reason for denying asylum to those claiming refugee status - but that's what's happening."
Jean
being interviewed at the demo by the BBC
The Westminster demonstration was one of several to take place across the EU - and beyond - on Friday (January 30th, 2004).
ENDS
Editors' Note: jpeg photos of Mrs Lambert at the demonstration are available on request
For more information please
contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358 or at press@greenmeps.org.uk