November 25, 2010 Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories – The immigrant and refugee rights group No One Is Illegal is organizing a demonstration on Saturday November 27th at 1 pm at the Vancouver Public Library to demand the immediate scrapping of the Conservative government’s Bill C-49. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Minister of Censorship and Deportation Jason Kenney introduced Bill C49 under the banner of combating “human smuggling”. Asylum seekers, including children, suspected of using a smuggler will be subject to mandatory detention for at least the first year after arrival, with no chance of a detention review. They will not have the right to appeal a negative refugee decision and will be denied access to health coverage. They will be prohibited from obtaining permanent residency and from sponsoring family members for a period of five years even after obtaining refugee status, during which time their status could be revoked.

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By Ilan Lior, Haaretz, November 24

Bnei Brak city hall launched a public campaign against renting flats to migrant workers and refugees two weeks ago, but it appears the municipality actually employs migrants, Haaretz has found. The city employs 10 foreign workers in its sanitary department through the subcontractor Ford Municipal Systems. The municipality, in confirming this, said all 10 had residence and work permits, and that it could not restrict the workforce under its current contract with the subcontractor.

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The Associated Press, Friday, November 19, 2010; 8:52 PM

ADELAIDE, Australia — Ten asylum seekers at an Australian detention center have sewn their lips together to protest delays in processing their refugee applications, as the government warned that protests will not change the outcome of the visa process. The male asylum seekers have refused medical assistance since sewing their lips together Friday morning at the Christmas Island detention center. They are taking water and sugar.

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By ROB TAYLOR, Reuters, November 11, 2010 4:01am

CANBERRA – Australia’s minority government suffered a setback in its promise to strengthen border security when the country’s highest court ruled on Thursday that tough laws meant to deter asylum seekers were unfair. The unanimous ruling by the High Court of Australia’s seven judges will force the Labor government to reshape its policy of detaining asylum seekers on offshore islands and blocking their access to appeal courts when refugee claims are rejected.

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Release Detained Tamil Refugees: Let Them Free, Let Them Stay!

Shuttles Leaving Edmonds station starting at 12:45 until 1:15. 7900 Fraser Park Dr, Burnaby Burnaby Youth Custody Services Centre where mothers and children who arrived aboard MV Sun Sea are being detained.

If you can, please make a small donation so we can continue to rent the equipment needed to make this happen!

For the past eight weeks we have gathered in front of the Burnaby Youth Custody prison where approximately 90 Tamil refugee mothers and children are being incarcerated. Supporters bang on pots and pans and blew whistles and horns to the beats of Tamil music. A large Tamil banner reading “We welcome you, we support you” is held towards the two detention units where children can be seen waving and smiling, peering through prison bars. (For photos, see here http://www.flickr.com/photos/nooneisillegal/)