Human rights in Britain

Insight into Human rights 'Human rights' are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world. Ideas about human rights have evolved over many centuries. But they achieved strong international support following the Holocaust and World War II. To protect future generations from a repeat of these horrors, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Human rights in Britain (a few statistics) 10% of applicants in the UK were granted asylum in 2002.(which means that 90% were still left a refugees without any kind of protection) In 2002, the United Kingdom received the largest number of asylum applications of any European Union country (88,300), closely followed by Germany (88,290). France was the next highest with 47,290. According to the figures, some 5,680 applications for asylum were made in the first three months of Some 25% were given permission to stay as genuine refugees or under another form of protection while three quarters had their applications rejected.

Human rights violation against refugees. Home Secretary Alan Johnson has denied that Britain will be forced to take migrants from the "Calais Jungle" camp which has been shut by French police. Immigration minister Phil Woolas said the migrants had no right to claim asylum in the UK, and he questioned whether they were genuine asylum seekers.(Who cannot get asylum in Britain? People who have been involved in war crimes, crimes against peace, serious non-political crimes and crimes against humanity.) " If they were fleeing persecution they have the right to claim asylum in the first country of entry as they leave their own countries," he told the BBC. For a full insight into this news visit the link:-

Zimbabwean asylum seekers in Uk The main problem for the asylum seekers in UK was that they had to prove that they were not associated with the MDC which was very difficult. This is now very different, it recognises what most Zimbabweans in the UK have known for a long time – that going back to Zimbabwe from the UK is a very dangerous thing. Hence, nowadays the Zimbabwean asylum seekers are now granted with refuge and do have the right to seek for work.

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) or Chagos Islands An overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia. In 1966, the British Government purchased the privately owned copra plantations, and closed them down, and forcefully removed the entire population (known as the Chagossians, or Ilois) of Diego Garcia to Mauritius. the United Kingdom and the United States signed a treaty, leasing the island of Diego Garcia to the American military for the purposes of building a large air and naval base on the Island. The deal was important to the United Kingdom United States agreed to give them a substantial discount on the purchase of Polaris nuclear missiles in return for the use of the islands as a base. The strategic location of the island was also significant at the centre of the Indian Ocean, and to counter any Soviet threat in the region. Contd…

…Contd During the 1980s, Mauritius asserted a claim to sovereignty for the territory, citing the 1965 separation as illegal under international law, despite their apparent agreement at the time. The UK does not recognise Mauritius' claim, but has agreed to cede the Territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes.