News Digest

Here are some recent migration/racism-related news stories of note that we haven't been able to cover in more detail:

'Eastern European migrants 'add £5bn' to Britain's GDP' from the BBC [unfortunately the FT article on the same subject is behind a paywall and we have been unable to review it so far - it being Sunday, the local Library is closed]. Pity they trotted out that tired old one man pressure group Andrew Green for a comment.

'UN asked to investigate death of Angolan deportee Jimmy Mubenga: Campaigners are pressing for an examination of Jimmy Mubenga's death during removal on Heathrow flight' - hopefully this wont be yet another death in custody that will be swept under the carpet, though we wont be holding our breath.

'Immigration officials have turned HIV patients into prisoners, claims hospital: NHS consultants say that the UK Border Agency's security measures have turned Hillingdon hospital into a prison' - no surprise here given the long history of prisoners receiving cancer treatment or giving birth whilst still handcuffed between two prison officers or the way Jimmy Mubenga was 'restrained' on his deportation flight.


Whilst we haven't been blogging much recently, the North African refugee crisis and the antics of Tweedledum and Tweedledee [Sarkozy and Berlusconi] have not escaped up and the blatant racism underpinning their Dumb and Dumber actions/policy pronouncements on the subject. [For example: 1, 2, 3, 4]

Equally unpleasant has been the donkey caravan of fellow European politicians backing their calls to introduce increased border restrictions within the Schengen zone:

'France and Italy get backing for changes to EU border rules'

'Athens backs calls for stricter EU border controls'

'National interest comes first' - a review of some news comment across the EU on the same subject


Fortunately, saner voices can be heard off stage:

'Sarkozy-Berlusconi: A border control farce'

'Another project in trouble: First the euro, now Schengen. Europe’s grandest integration projects seem to be suffering' - the Economist's Charlemagne blog

'Reforming Schengen, an absurd gesture'  - Berliner Zeitung

'Agnès Poirier: Both leaders are prisoners of a resurgent right wing'

'Fortress Europe? There is a better way'



And for a little bit of light relief, the Daily Flail's view:

'The French mocked Britain for warning that tearing up EU borders would be a disaster. Look who's whingeing now!'