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Hands off my friend The ‘Hands off my friend’ campaign calls for an end to the voucher and dispersal system of people claiming asylum. There is considerable evidence that these measures stigmatise refugees and make them more vulnerable to racist attacks. As well as asking for the restoration of benefits for asylum seekers, the campaign is also calling for action against newspapers which publish material inciting racial hatred, and demanding that the government uses its ‘strengthened’ legislation on this. The campaign, which has achieved wide support, is organising a letter writing campaign to the new Home Secretary. The response from the government has been less than satisfactory. It claims that it is reviewing the voucher and dispersal system, but is unlikely to scrap it, once the results of this review are published in the autumn. It is also seeking to reform the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, which is the international framework for the right of refugees to seek asylum in Britain. It has also announced that certain parts of the Immigration and Nationality Service will be exempt from the provisions of the new Human Rights Act, which came into force last year. Newspaper adverts appeared during the election campaign raising the issue of asylum and refugees to which LAGCAR also contributed. To get involved with the Hands off my Friend
campaign and purchase postcards to send to the Home Secretary or
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