The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg has published his memorandum on the UK asylum and immigration system with a number of notable conclusions and recommendations. Amongst many other points, the memorandum attacks head-straight the lack of a legal framework regarding detention of asylum seekers in “Fast Track Processes”, proceedings aimed at an accelerated determination of refugee status, which coincidentally also violate a number of procedural human rights guaranteed by the ECHR. Refugee status determinations now also need to comply with the standards outlines in the European Directive 2004/83 on the qualification of persons as … Continue reading New Council of Europe memorandum confirms that UK immigration detention system violates human rights