This blog has covered in detail how the Somali community in the Diaspora has struggled to engage with matters of complexity away from the influences of their homeland.
Considering how the improvisational theatre productions of the 1960s/70s/80s covered these matters at length, it is all the more worrying that the Somali community appears to have stagnated. There is a tragic inability to [a] logically analyse issues in detail and [b] find a consistent solution to a problem. This is confounded by the inability of Somalis in general to tackle these issues in their mother tounge.
The work of Xasan Ganey in the theatre production Waa Maadays Adduunyadu Dadkuna Wey Matelayaan is based on the popular poem of the same name; you can see excerpts of this work here, here and here. The live performances of the play took place in 1984, the topics discussed and the language used still resonates today. People quote sections of the work as examples of how the Somali language has appeared to have deterirorated over the last twenty five years.
The comparison between this work and the kind of stuff that passes for analysis these days is stark. You could write a PHd. thesis about how the standards have dropped when you consider the premise behind the Dhig ama Dhaqo film [click here for the full effect]. The drop in standards is also evident when you look at talk shows [click here to listen to a mess] and articles [click here for a poorly written piece] on topics like divorce.
The title of this blog post has a double meaning; for matters like divorce Somalis should consider the detailed analysis that has been illustrated in the culture by the society's intellectuals. For example, on divorce why not suggest that SHARAXII LATUMEY SHEEKAA KA DAMBEYSEY? There is a stunning lack of appreciation within the community, and possibly wider society, of the difference between the sacred and profane. These two spheres of our lives should be mutually exclusive; for example one should marry according to the traditions of their culture and the rituals of their religion. One should not marry on the basis of how someone looks, or how much money can be made or to cement a relationship between two people that has struggled along for a questionable period of time. Now it is one thing to understand, appreciate and act on the basis of one's understanding of their culture, religion and way of life. It is another to act on the kinds of whims and desires that are encouraged by a particular group who dress these matters up as being socially acceptable.
What is socially acceptable for Somalis in the UK and possible the Diaspora at large? Eeking out an existence on state benefits because having money is fundamental to our way of life. What is unacceptable? Well your child should go out and live in a hostel so that he/she can eventually be on the register for a home from the borough council. Should your child not want this and should he/she wish to entertain a life outside of benefit dependency than this is unacceptable. In this envrionment, a child is taught that this kind of wrong [lying and cheating to maintain the mirage of benefit dependency]to maintain a standard of living is right. Problem is that when you start telling your children lying and cheating is acceptable, then they will stray into other areas where this could be affirmed. The high levels of criminality within the Somali community are down to the lack of a coherent message being communicated by parents to their children as to what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in the public sphere of life.
It is frankly pathetic that prominent intellectuals in the secular liberal capitalist nations of the developed world decry the influeces of the commodification of the human soul and Somalis are still clinging onto the benefits of the system. This is not new though, you see Xasan Ganey, Axmed Sulimaan Bide, Sangub et al identified the flaws in the neo-liberal order over 25 years ago.
Saturday, 25 December 2010
Police arrest suspected Somali terrorists in Rotterdam
This is believed to be linked to an attempt to behead the controversial political figure Geert Wilders.
AFP - 25/12/2010
Twelve Somalis suspected of terrorist activities have been arrested in Rotterdam, Dutch officials said Saturday. The arrests were made after a tip-off by Dutch intelligence that the Somalis could commit attacks "in the near future". By News Wires (text) AFP - Twelve Somalis suspected of involvement in terrorist activities have been arrested in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands prosecution service said on Saturday.
A statement said the arrests were made late Friday following a tip-off by Dutch intelligence "that a number of Somalis wanted to commit a terrorist attack in the Netherlands in the near future".
The arrested Somalis were aged between 19 and 48, the statement said. Six lived in Rotterdam, five had no known address and one was a Danish resident.
A shop and four houses were searched in Rotterdam and two motel rooms in the southern town of Gilze-Rijen, but no weapons or explosives were found, prosecutors said.
The men "are being questioned," prosecution spokesman Wim de Bruin told AFP.
"They will be brought before a judge within three days to decide whether or not to keep them in custody."
De Bruin said more arrests were not on the cards "for now".
Dutch news agency ANP quoted the National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism as saying the arrests did not warrant changing the country's terror threat level from "limited".
AFP - 25/12/2010
Twelve Somalis suspected of terrorist activities have been arrested in Rotterdam, Dutch officials said Saturday. The arrests were made after a tip-off by Dutch intelligence that the Somalis could commit attacks "in the near future". By News Wires (text) AFP - Twelve Somalis suspected of involvement in terrorist activities have been arrested in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands prosecution service said on Saturday.
A statement said the arrests were made late Friday following a tip-off by Dutch intelligence "that a number of Somalis wanted to commit a terrorist attack in the Netherlands in the near future".
The arrested Somalis were aged between 19 and 48, the statement said. Six lived in Rotterdam, five had no known address and one was a Danish resident.
A shop and four houses were searched in Rotterdam and two motel rooms in the southern town of Gilze-Rijen, but no weapons or explosives were found, prosecutors said.
The men "are being questioned," prosecution spokesman Wim de Bruin told AFP.
"They will be brought before a judge within three days to decide whether or not to keep them in custody."
De Bruin said more arrests were not on the cards "for now".
Dutch news agency ANP quoted the National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism as saying the arrests did not warrant changing the country's terror threat level from "limited".
Monday, 13 December 2010
Who would like to get involved in a research project??
"I am looking for two research assistants with the qualifications and experience necessary to carry out life history interviews with 40 Somali women living in Tower Hamlets and, where possible, additional discussion with family members. The interviews will be taped so assistants will be responsible for transcribing the interviews and translating into English if necessary. They will also work with me in organising the material for analytical purposes. We will be working closely with the Tower Hamlets Diversity Division so they will get an insight into the inside workings of a local government bureaucracy. Pay in £25 an hour for 10 weeks starting in early Jan including some training in interviewing techniques if necesary. Report has to be submitted by end March so we are working to a tight time line."
I would be grateful if you would circulate this email through your networks. Anyone interested should contact Naila directly (nk34@soas.ac.uk).
All the best, Anna
--
Dr Anna Lindley
Lecturer
Department of Development Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of London
http://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff51769.php
Recent book:
The Early Morning Phonecall: Somali Refugees' Remittances
http://www.berghahnbooks.com/title.php?rowtag=LindleyEarly
I would be grateful if you would circulate this email through your networks. Anyone interested should contact Naila directly (nk34@soas.ac.uk).
All the best, Anna
--
Dr Anna Lindley
Lecturer
Department of Development Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of London
http://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff51769.php
Recent book:
The Early Morning Phonecall: Somali Refugees' Remittances
http://www.berghahnbooks.com/title.php?rowtag=LindleyEarly
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Children's charities hit out at plans by London Councils to cut their funding
By Joe Lepper
Children & Young People Now
2 December 2010
Children and young people's charities in London have criticised plans by London Councils to cut their annual funding by £1.3m.
London Councils' grants committee is recommending that the London Borough Grants Scheme is cut by £16.8m, bringing the total pot to £9.8m.
The committee said money contributed by London boroughs to the scheme can be more effectively spent by the councils themselves.
Among the 200 charities and voluntary groups affected by the recommendation are 21 children and young people's organisations, which are set to lose combined annual funding of £1.3m.
The London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) and the Voluntary Sector Forum network said the cuts are disproportionate and will affect the poorest Londoners and most disadvantaged children.
The charity bodies want to see any "repatriated funds" ringfenced by councils for the charity sector.
Peter Lewis, chief executive officer of LVSC, said: "This programme serves some of the most disadvantaged Londoners. Leaders should not be retaining funds to fill potholes in their own boroughs."
London Councils’ leaders committee will vote on the recommendation when it meets on 14 December.
Grants committee chair Sir Steve Bullock said: "Members of the grants committee have recommended the continuation of a grants programme focusing on pan-London commissions within a set of agreed priorities.
"These include services, such as those to do with homelessness and domestic violence, where there is often no clear relationship with an individual borough."
He added that the committee has also recommended a "managed transition" period of three months from April next year for initiatives that do not meet its pan-London requirement.
He said: "This would allow boroughs more time to establish which services they should continue to fund and give them flexibility to decide what will work best in their own local areas."
However, Marie-Anne Diedhiou-Roy, organisational support officer at LVSC, said: "The cuts will affect the most disadvantaged children and young people in London for whom these funded services represent a real lifeline. At a time of cuts to public services, affecting youth services in particular, London Councils should be prioritising the funding for this programme because it makes economic and social sense."
Organisations that will be affected include Somali Youth Union in UK, Beatbullying and Barnardo's.
Children & Young People Now
2 December 2010
Children and young people's charities in London have criticised plans by London Councils to cut their annual funding by £1.3m.
London Councils' grants committee is recommending that the London Borough Grants Scheme is cut by £16.8m, bringing the total pot to £9.8m.
The committee said money contributed by London boroughs to the scheme can be more effectively spent by the councils themselves.
Among the 200 charities and voluntary groups affected by the recommendation are 21 children and young people's organisations, which are set to lose combined annual funding of £1.3m.
The London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) and the Voluntary Sector Forum network said the cuts are disproportionate and will affect the poorest Londoners and most disadvantaged children.
The charity bodies want to see any "repatriated funds" ringfenced by councils for the charity sector.
Peter Lewis, chief executive officer of LVSC, said: "This programme serves some of the most disadvantaged Londoners. Leaders should not be retaining funds to fill potholes in their own boroughs."
London Councils’ leaders committee will vote on the recommendation when it meets on 14 December.
Grants committee chair Sir Steve Bullock said: "Members of the grants committee have recommended the continuation of a grants programme focusing on pan-London commissions within a set of agreed priorities.
"These include services, such as those to do with homelessness and domestic violence, where there is often no clear relationship with an individual borough."
He added that the committee has also recommended a "managed transition" period of three months from April next year for initiatives that do not meet its pan-London requirement.
He said: "This would allow boroughs more time to establish which services they should continue to fund and give them flexibility to decide what will work best in their own local areas."
However, Marie-Anne Diedhiou-Roy, organisational support officer at LVSC, said: "The cuts will affect the most disadvantaged children and young people in London for whom these funded services represent a real lifeline. At a time of cuts to public services, affecting youth services in particular, London Councils should be prioritising the funding for this programme because it makes economic and social sense."
Organisations that will be affected include Somali Youth Union in UK, Beatbullying and Barnardo's.
UCL Somali Students Society Event: 17/12/2010
An excerpt from the film is accessible below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTxF7xzOgS8
The film will be shown at the Cruciform Building, UCL. Lecture Theatre 1. beginning at 5pm and finishing at 7pm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTxF7xzOgS8
The film will be shown at the Cruciform Building, UCL. Lecture Theatre 1. beginning at 5pm and finishing at 7pm.
This is the first time I have heard of this..
Somali Youth Helpline
Somali Youth Helpline is a voluntary organisation, established as a charity in March 2007. The organisation runs a bilingual helpline for counselling and confidential support for disaffected and vulnerable Somali youth ages 13 to 19.
It has the following services:
- Free telephone helpline - 0800 542 6855
- Office - (020) 0208 813 9155
- Email helpline - syhelpline@gmail.com
- Consultation and guidance sessions/workshops
- Referrals to appropriate organisations
- Advice on where to access services
- Opportunity for volunteer work in the community
Address: Resource Centre, Featherstone Terrace, Southall, Middlesex, UB2 5AL
For more information
Website: http://syhelpline.org.uk
Email: syhelpline@gmail.com
Helpline: 0800 542 6855
Office: (020) 8813 9155
Contact person: Zuhur Elmi
How to get there
Nearest station: Southall BR Buses H32, 105, 195, E5
For further information, click here
Undisclosed Muslim country 'paying for anti-piracy force in Somalia'
Donor nation has hired US security experts as advisors to Somali government, according to a report
Xan Rice guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 December 2010 18.26 GMT
An undisclosed "Muslim nation" is funding a 1,000-strong, privately trained military force in northern Somalia and has hired a former CIA officer and a senior official from the Bush administration to advise the Somali government on security matters, according to a report.
The Associated Press said the "anti-piracy" force was receiving instruction in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region on the tip of Africa's horn that oil and gas exploration firms are interested in.
A separate force will be trained in the capital, Mogadishu, the news agency said, citing sources involved in the programme, which has reportedly cost many millions of dollars. A large convoy of pick-up trucks, small aircraft and armoured vehicles will support the troops.
The motivation of the donor country remains unknown, and UN experts have confirmed they are investigating whether there has been a violation of Somalia's arms embargo. The country has not had a functioning government since 1991, and Islamists who claim allegiance to al-Qaida are trying to gain overall control.
AP said the same country funding the security forces had hired Pierre Prosper, who was an ambassador at large for war crimes issues under George Bush from 2001-05, to advise the Somali government on legal issues related to security, anti-corruption and transparency. Prosper, who was also the diplomat responsible for engaging with countries whose citizens were held at Guantánamo Bay after the September 11 attacks, said he was being paid to do the job by "a Muslim nation", which he declined to name.
Fellow American Michael Shanklin, the CIA deputy chief of station in Mogadishu 20 years ago, told AP he was employed by the same country as "a security adviser and liaison to the Somali government".
The involvement of the two men is likely to be viewed with deep suspicion in Somalia, and is likely to be used by the Islamists for propaganda. Many Somalis are mistrustful of foreign meddling, and were angered by the US's decision to give money to a group of warlords in Mogadishu in 2006 then back the Ethiopian invasion a few months later.
AP named the private security company involved in training the troops as Saracen International, a Uganda-based firm headed by a South African former special forces soldier called Bill Pelser. In a November statement the Puntland government said Saracen had been hired to establish its "marine forces", while documents from the Somali presidency this year suggested the company had been hired to train the presidential guard in Mogadishu.
But in a phone interview, Pelser told the Guardian claims of his company's involvement were "bullshit", and said he would take legal action against the media. "I have already given a statement to the UN security council on this. None of my assets are involved in Somalia. It must be another company called Saracen," he said.
Puntland is more stable than the rest of Somalia, but the creation of an "anti-piracy" force will raise questions. Senior members of the current administration are believed to have close links to some pirate groups, who have raked in millions in ransoms for foreign ships. Previous efforts to train a local navy have seen recruits "go off and become elite pirates themselves", according to a Somalia analyst in Nairobi, who asked not to be named.
Mohamed Farole, the son of Puntland president Abdirahman Mohamed Farole and a powerful figure in his own right, said the first 150 graduates completed a 13-week training course this week. He told AP they would be used to hunt pirates in the Galgala mountains. However, that area is not known as a major piracy hotspot. The main pirate bases fall outside Puntland.
But Galgala is the territory of a well-known weapons dealer and militia leader called Mohamed Said Atom. Accused of supplying arms to Somalia's main Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab, Atom has clashed with Puntland's administration before and complained about being excluded from energy exploration deals.
Xan Rice guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 December 2010 18.26 GMT
An undisclosed "Muslim nation" is funding a 1,000-strong, privately trained military force in northern Somalia and has hired a former CIA officer and a senior official from the Bush administration to advise the Somali government on security matters, according to a report.
The Associated Press said the "anti-piracy" force was receiving instruction in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region on the tip of Africa's horn that oil and gas exploration firms are interested in.
A separate force will be trained in the capital, Mogadishu, the news agency said, citing sources involved in the programme, which has reportedly cost many millions of dollars. A large convoy of pick-up trucks, small aircraft and armoured vehicles will support the troops.
The motivation of the donor country remains unknown, and UN experts have confirmed they are investigating whether there has been a violation of Somalia's arms embargo. The country has not had a functioning government since 1991, and Islamists who claim allegiance to al-Qaida are trying to gain overall control.
AP said the same country funding the security forces had hired Pierre Prosper, who was an ambassador at large for war crimes issues under George Bush from 2001-05, to advise the Somali government on legal issues related to security, anti-corruption and transparency. Prosper, who was also the diplomat responsible for engaging with countries whose citizens were held at Guantánamo Bay after the September 11 attacks, said he was being paid to do the job by "a Muslim nation", which he declined to name.
Fellow American Michael Shanklin, the CIA deputy chief of station in Mogadishu 20 years ago, told AP he was employed by the same country as "a security adviser and liaison to the Somali government".
The involvement of the two men is likely to be viewed with deep suspicion in Somalia, and is likely to be used by the Islamists for propaganda. Many Somalis are mistrustful of foreign meddling, and were angered by the US's decision to give money to a group of warlords in Mogadishu in 2006 then back the Ethiopian invasion a few months later.
AP named the private security company involved in training the troops as Saracen International, a Uganda-based firm headed by a South African former special forces soldier called Bill Pelser. In a November statement the Puntland government said Saracen had been hired to establish its "marine forces", while documents from the Somali presidency this year suggested the company had been hired to train the presidential guard in Mogadishu.
But in a phone interview, Pelser told the Guardian claims of his company's involvement were "bullshit", and said he would take legal action against the media. "I have already given a statement to the UN security council on this. None of my assets are involved in Somalia. It must be another company called Saracen," he said.
Puntland is more stable than the rest of Somalia, but the creation of an "anti-piracy" force will raise questions. Senior members of the current administration are believed to have close links to some pirate groups, who have raked in millions in ransoms for foreign ships. Previous efforts to train a local navy have seen recruits "go off and become elite pirates themselves", according to a Somalia analyst in Nairobi, who asked not to be named.
Mohamed Farole, the son of Puntland president Abdirahman Mohamed Farole and a powerful figure in his own right, said the first 150 graduates completed a 13-week training course this week. He told AP they would be used to hunt pirates in the Galgala mountains. However, that area is not known as a major piracy hotspot. The main pirate bases fall outside Puntland.
But Galgala is the territory of a well-known weapons dealer and militia leader called Mohamed Said Atom. Accused of supplying arms to Somalia's main Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab, Atom has clashed with Puntland's administration before and complained about being excluded from energy exploration deals.
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Your thoughts on this post would be most welcome......
It has been increasingly difficult for Somali Brothers and sisters to meet with a view to marriage. Due to the lack of such arenas, we felt it necessary to arrange such an event. It has become apparent that many Sisters are looking outside for marriage.(NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT). Many have said that they feel there are no suitable and eligible Somali Brothers available. We DO NOT believe this to be the case and so, Insha’Allah, we hope that this event will dispel such negative perceptions.
Jazak Allah Khairun
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Viewpoint: Chandler case offers UK Somalis a new start
When Kent couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were released by Somali pirates after 13 months, much credit went to the UK's Somali community.
The BBC's Hashi Mohamed offers his perspective on how this might affect the way British Somalis are viewed - and shape their future.
Much has been written about the role of UK-based Somalis in securing the release of the Chandlers but, as a first-generation immigrant, I wonder what this means for a community that has so far struggled to find a voice.
The story of the release is familiar.
A former mini-cab driver from Leytonstone, east London - mortified at the embarrassment suffered by his children being called pirates - took matters into his own hands.
An ashamed community used every means to mount international pressure on the pirates, even securing funds reported to have contributed to the ransom money.
Although this story has a happy ending, for many Somalis in Britain the future remains complicated.
Civil war
The 2001 Census recorded 43,000 Somalis in the UK. The Office for National Statistics' annual population survey currently estimates Britain's Somali-born population at 108,000 - though many observers suggest 250,000 would be a truer picture.
Now mostly concentrated in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield and Cardiff, Somalis are documented to have arrived at Cardiff's docks as merchants as far back as the 1880s.
Settlement really only started in the 1950s but the majority came as refugees in the 1990s, as Somalia's civil war worsened after the collapse of the state in 1991.
The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have also welcomed sizeable Somali populations, while the largest diaspora communities are concentrated in the US Midwest and Toronto, Canada.
As Somali author Nurdin Farah said: "When it rains in Mogadishu, the umbrellas go up in Minnesota."
However, older exiles often spoke of the day they would return to find their ancestral home and this is now commonly recited by younger generations.
When publicising his 2006 book, Only Half of Me, British-Somali journalist Rageh Omaar noted that many Somalis have "never really unpacked their bags".
To me, it seems that dreaming of a return home, while failing to fully integrate, has had unintended consequences.
Family breakdown
Last month, an Equality and Human Rights Commission report on fairness found that half of all Britain's ethnically black African children grow up in poverty. They are also more likely to have caring responsibilities.
While GCSE attainment has improved, black boys eligible for free school meals still struggle.
Many of these are Somali children. Often raised in large families and overcrowded households with no breadwinner, English can be the second - sometimes third - language.
The Chandlers thanked the Somali community for helping secure their release The use of the stimulant khat, chewed predominantly by Somalis and Yemenis, is legal in the UK and spreading among youths.
A Home Office report in 2005 found the drug was associated with weight loss, depression and hallucinations.
It also underlined social problems attributed to the use of khat - usually by men and after midnight - including family breakdown.
Crime gangs have sprung up in deprived areas, as a poverty of ambition takes hold of Somali youth, and mothers continue to lose their sons to knife crime - more than half a dozen in a few years.
A 2007 report by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies found that, since 2003, Somalis had made up the largest proportion of foreign nationals (30 of 160 at the time) at the UK's biggest young offender institution, Feltham in west London. Early criminalisation for minor offences can make finding work nigh impossible.
Terror threat
Then last December, Somalia's first female health minister, Qamer Aden Ali - a British citizen whose daughter I went to school with, was killed in Mogadishu by another Somali holding Danish nationality.
The killer had reportedly joined the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab.
Its activities recently prompted MI5 chief, Jonathan Evans, to warn of the increasing threat from UK residents, some of Somali origin, being trained in Somalia.
This is certainly not the last generation's vision of their offspring returning to rebuild their homeland.
In stark contrast, the Chandlers' story illustrates how desperate many UK-based Somalis are to be regarded as part of British society.
The cabbie Dahir Abdullahi Kadiye, a refugee, told the BBC Somali Service he felt "ashamed" at people in his native country holding innocent people from his adopted nation as hostages.
An increasing number of UK-based Somalis are keen to rebuild their community's reputation, with many successful young people getting involved in mentoring programmes. British Somalis sit on several local councils, while peaceful activists have rallied against the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia.
The Chandlers' release undoubtedly offers them encouragement, demonstrating the community's ability to rail against the brutality engulfing their homeland - especially when it threatens to make life difficult where they now call home.
Mr Kadiye was welcomed back a hero at Heathrow Airport, where one woman told Somali network Universal TV: "Dahir has today raised our reputation. I am here in solidarity with my fellow compatriots, with the nation that adopted us.
"We have been compelled to share the pain of those who gave us [Somalis] a second chance."
However, this also offers a moment to reassess.
The encouraging signs that the generation coming of age will have a positive role might only bear fruit if British Somalis address the issues of underachievement, disenchantment and destitution, both individually and collectively
The BBC's Hashi Mohamed offers his perspective on how this might affect the way British Somalis are viewed - and shape their future.
Much has been written about the role of UK-based Somalis in securing the release of the Chandlers but, as a first-generation immigrant, I wonder what this means for a community that has so far struggled to find a voice.
The story of the release is familiar.
A former mini-cab driver from Leytonstone, east London - mortified at the embarrassment suffered by his children being called pirates - took matters into his own hands.
An ashamed community used every means to mount international pressure on the pirates, even securing funds reported to have contributed to the ransom money.
Although this story has a happy ending, for many Somalis in Britain the future remains complicated.
Civil war
The 2001 Census recorded 43,000 Somalis in the UK. The Office for National Statistics' annual population survey currently estimates Britain's Somali-born population at 108,000 - though many observers suggest 250,000 would be a truer picture.
Now mostly concentrated in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield and Cardiff, Somalis are documented to have arrived at Cardiff's docks as merchants as far back as the 1880s.
Settlement really only started in the 1950s but the majority came as refugees in the 1990s, as Somalia's civil war worsened after the collapse of the state in 1991.
The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have also welcomed sizeable Somali populations, while the largest diaspora communities are concentrated in the US Midwest and Toronto, Canada.
As Somali author Nurdin Farah said: "When it rains in Mogadishu, the umbrellas go up in Minnesota."
However, older exiles often spoke of the day they would return to find their ancestral home and this is now commonly recited by younger generations.
When publicising his 2006 book, Only Half of Me, British-Somali journalist Rageh Omaar noted that many Somalis have "never really unpacked their bags".
To me, it seems that dreaming of a return home, while failing to fully integrate, has had unintended consequences.
Family breakdown
Last month, an Equality and Human Rights Commission report on fairness found that half of all Britain's ethnically black African children grow up in poverty. They are also more likely to have caring responsibilities.
While GCSE attainment has improved, black boys eligible for free school meals still struggle.
Many of these are Somali children. Often raised in large families and overcrowded households with no breadwinner, English can be the second - sometimes third - language.
The Chandlers thanked the Somali community for helping secure their release The use of the stimulant khat, chewed predominantly by Somalis and Yemenis, is legal in the UK and spreading among youths.
A Home Office report in 2005 found the drug was associated with weight loss, depression and hallucinations.
It also underlined social problems attributed to the use of khat - usually by men and after midnight - including family breakdown.
Crime gangs have sprung up in deprived areas, as a poverty of ambition takes hold of Somali youth, and mothers continue to lose their sons to knife crime - more than half a dozen in a few years.
A 2007 report by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies found that, since 2003, Somalis had made up the largest proportion of foreign nationals (30 of 160 at the time) at the UK's biggest young offender institution, Feltham in west London. Early criminalisation for minor offences can make finding work nigh impossible.
Terror threat
Then last December, Somalia's first female health minister, Qamer Aden Ali - a British citizen whose daughter I went to school with, was killed in Mogadishu by another Somali holding Danish nationality.
The killer had reportedly joined the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab.
Its activities recently prompted MI5 chief, Jonathan Evans, to warn of the increasing threat from UK residents, some of Somali origin, being trained in Somalia.
This is certainly not the last generation's vision of their offspring returning to rebuild their homeland.
In stark contrast, the Chandlers' story illustrates how desperate many UK-based Somalis are to be regarded as part of British society.
The cabbie Dahir Abdullahi Kadiye, a refugee, told the BBC Somali Service he felt "ashamed" at people in his native country holding innocent people from his adopted nation as hostages.
An increasing number of UK-based Somalis are keen to rebuild their community's reputation, with many successful young people getting involved in mentoring programmes. British Somalis sit on several local councils, while peaceful activists have rallied against the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia.
The Chandlers' release undoubtedly offers them encouragement, demonstrating the community's ability to rail against the brutality engulfing their homeland - especially when it threatens to make life difficult where they now call home.
Mr Kadiye was welcomed back a hero at Heathrow Airport, where one woman told Somali network Universal TV: "Dahir has today raised our reputation. I am here in solidarity with my fellow compatriots, with the nation that adopted us.
"We have been compelled to share the pain of those who gave us [Somalis] a second chance."
However, this also offers a moment to reassess.
The encouraging signs that the generation coming of age will have a positive role might only bear fruit if British Somalis address the issues of underachievement, disenchantment and destitution, both individually and collectively
Somali pirate gang who held Chandlers have families in Britain.... and one kidnapper's wife is an asylum seeker
Link to London: Officials are investigating if the pirates that kept the Chandlers hostage could have family in the UK
By David Williams
Last updated at 6:58 AM on 26th November 2010
Two members of the Somali pirate gang that held Britons Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage for 388 days are believed to have family in the UK.
One of the pirate leaders says he plans to travel to the UK to join his wife and two children, who have claimed political asylum and live in London.
The extraordinary revelations come as intelligence and security officials in the UK and Kenya investigate links between Britain and Somali pirates after the couple were freed from the 13-month ordeal in return for a ransom.
A second pirate involved in the seizing of the Chandlers is suspected to have lived in Britain and to have family living in London. It is unclear whether his family has also claimed asylum and whether either family receives benefits.
Both men are said to have received a ‘cut’ of the estimated £625,000 ransom paid for the release of Mr Chandler, 60, and his 57-year-old wife.
Investigators say the revelations raise the possibility of pirates travelling to Britain and of part of the ransom money being transferred to family members in the UK.
Their warnings come just weeks after Home Secretary Theresa May highlighted the links between British extremists and Somalia, with some UK citizens travelling there to train alongside Al Qaeda-linked groups. Anti-terrorist investigators believe some have returned to Britain and they have been looking at associations between the UK and pirate gangs, who currently hold some 40 ships and 500 crew hostage
Frightening possibility: The kidnappers who held the Chandlers, seen here with Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, could travel back to see their families who have claimed asylum in the UK
The Chandlers, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were seized as they sailed their yacht in the Indian Ocean, near the Seychelles, on October 23, 2009, and held in the harsh Somali bushland by heavily armed pirates.
They are recovering with their family, who paid part of the ransom, and will be questioned about their time in captivity and specifically the role and identities of individual pirates.
The couple will be shown intelligence photographs – and those from videos taken during their time in the hands of the pirates – to see if any can be identified by name and the roles they played.
Satellite and other telephone calls, together with emails sent from Somalia by suspects to the UK are also being examined and it is understood the identities of several of the gang are known.
Immigration investigators are now involved in the inquiry into their British links and seeking to discover whether individuals have visited the UK or have families here. ‘It is possible that some of those
In satellite calls, the pirates have alluded to links with Britain and a man named as Hassan, 32 – said to be one of the ringleaders of the Chandler abduction – was quoted as saying he had a wife and family in the UK and was planning to join them.
He claimed his family had moved to London three years ago, applying for political asylum.
‘She is putting me under pressure to join her and the children, so I will come to the UK soon,’ he said in one telephone call.‘I am not looking forward to the cold weather, though, and I am worried that women are more powerful in the UK – I don’t know how long I will stay.’ Hassan has also admitted to being involved in the hijacking of tankers and commercial ships which were boarded at gunpoint and released only after multi-million pound ransoms were paid.
A key figure in assisting the investigation is likely to be Dahir Abdullahi Kadiye, a 56-year-old former minicab driver from East London, who played a significant role in securing the couple’s release.
Mr Kadiye, a father of two, who came to Britain from Somalia in 1997 as a refugee and has UK citizenship, met with the pirates and their representatives for six months trying to broker a deal to free the Chandlers.
Mr Kadiye, who is beginning a security company and travels regularly between the UK and Somalia, said he became involved for ‘humanitarian reasons’ and was hailed as a hero on his return to Britain.
Police sting foils bomb plot at Christmas lights ceremony
By WILLIAM McCALL in Portland
Sunday November 28 2010
Undercover agents stopped a Somali-born teenager from blowing up a van full of explosives at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, US federal authorities said. The explosives were duds supplied by the agents as part of a sting operation and the public was never in danger, authorities said.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested at 5.40pm, just after he dialled a mobile phone that he allegedly thought would detonate the explosives but instead brought federal agents and Portland police swooping down on him.
Yelling "Allahu Akbar!" -- Arabic for "God is great!" -- Mr Mohamud tried to kick agents and police as they closed in, according to prosecutors.
"The threat was very real," said Arthur Balizan, FBI special agent. "Our investigation shows that Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack on a very grand scale."
Mr Mohamud, a naturalised US citizen living in Corvallis, Oregon, was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and is scheduled for a court appearance tomorrow.
There was no word from authorities if the suspect had any ties to other Americans recently accused of trying to carry out attacks on US soil, including alleged efforts in May by a Pakistan-born man to set off a car bomb near Times Square or another Pakistan-born Virginia resident accused last month of being part of a bomb plot to kill commuters.
US Attorney Dwight Holton released federal court documents to the media that showed the sting operation began in June after an undercover agent learned that Mr Mohamud had been in regular email contact with an "unindicated associate" in Pakistan's northwest, a frontier region where Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents are strong.
Last June an FBI agent contacted Mr Mohamud "under the guise of being affiliated with the first associate". Mr Mohamud and the agent met in Portland on July 30 where they "discussed violent jihad", prosecutors said.
- WILLIAM McCALL in Portland
Sunday Independent
Sunday November 28 2010
Undercover agents stopped a Somali-born teenager from blowing up a van full of explosives at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, US federal authorities said. The explosives were duds supplied by the agents as part of a sting operation and the public was never in danger, authorities said.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested at 5.40pm, just after he dialled a mobile phone that he allegedly thought would detonate the explosives but instead brought federal agents and Portland police swooping down on him.
Yelling "Allahu Akbar!" -- Arabic for "God is great!" -- Mr Mohamud tried to kick agents and police as they closed in, according to prosecutors.
"The threat was very real," said Arthur Balizan, FBI special agent. "Our investigation shows that Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack on a very grand scale."
Mr Mohamud, a naturalised US citizen living in Corvallis, Oregon, was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and is scheduled for a court appearance tomorrow.
There was no word from authorities if the suspect had any ties to other Americans recently accused of trying to carry out attacks on US soil, including alleged efforts in May by a Pakistan-born man to set off a car bomb near Times Square or another Pakistan-born Virginia resident accused last month of being part of a bomb plot to kill commuters.
US Attorney Dwight Holton released federal court documents to the media that showed the sting operation began in June after an undercover agent learned that Mr Mohamud had been in regular email contact with an "unindicated associate" in Pakistan's northwest, a frontier region where Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents are strong.
Last June an FBI agent contacted Mr Mohamud "under the guise of being affiliated with the first associate". Mr Mohamud and the agent met in Portland on July 30 where they "discussed violent jihad", prosecutors said.
- WILLIAM McCALL in Portland
Sunday Independent
Sunday, 14 November 2010
For the purposes of establishing a perspective read the following story..
THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN 1996:
Somali children sold in Europe 'for prostitution'
Exploitation of young: Police uncover smuggling ring in Italy as Belgian abuse investigation widens
ANNE HANLEY Rome - The Independent
Monday, 9 September 1996
An Italo-Somali band smuggling Somali children into Italy for distribution around Europe and north America has been uncovered by Rome police, sparking concern that the children may have finished up in prostitution or paedophile rings.
Eight alleged members of the band were arrested on Saturday, after a three month investigation during which 15 children were traced and placed in care.
Ostensibly destined for adoption, children aged between three and 12 were bought or kidnapped from their parents in poor Somali villages. The adults received a pittance for parting with their offspring. The children have been brought to Italy at a rate of up to three a week over the past 18 months, police said.
Transported in the boots of cars, as parcels, or inside luggage, the terrified, starving children were taken to Mogadishu and then flown or shipped to Rome, where three couples who are now behind bars fattened them up before escorting them to their final destination.
Police have found catalogues, circulated in Europe and north America, containing photographs of the Somali children available for adoption, with price tags of up to 50m lire (pounds 20,000) for the youngest. They voiced serious concern, however, over the fate of the older children, pointing out that few people seeking to adopt would be interested in children of that age.
The three mixed Italo-Somali couples, all of whom have young children of their own, were used to ship the Somali children on once they had reached Rome and been prepared physically for the next stage in their ordeal: with no photograph of children under the age of 10 needed on passports, the couples could ferry the children to their final destination, passing them off as their own.
Providing the necessary seal of legality to the operation, police allege, was Cahie Douglas Hassan Duale, a leading member of Rome's sizeable Somali community and a well known lawyer with chambers in the prestigious Borgo area, overlooking St Peter's.
The arrest of Mr Duale, who is defence lawyer for the Somali warlord, Abdulli Mussa Bogar, has reopened the as yet unsolved mystery of the fatal shooting in Mogadishu in 1994 of the Italian journalist, Ilaria Alpi, and a cameraman, Milan Hrovatin.
Mr Bogar, the Sultan of Bosaso, was the last person interviewed by Alpi, shortly before she and Hrovatin were gunned down in what was clearly a premeditated killing in mid-afternoon on a busy city street. The interview focused on illegal arms trafficking between Italy and Somalia, but may also, investigators now believe, have touched on the trade in children.
Italian magistrates investigating the murder recently opened an inquiry into the administrators of an orphanage in Somalia who came forward voluntarily with information on Mr Bogar but provided false data which was obviously intended to confuse the investigation.
According to Rome police, the couples who hosted the Somali children in Italy reaped no great financial benefit from their part in the smuggling operation. The bulk of the earnings appears to have remained in Somalia, though couriers there responsible for seizing the children and taking them to Mogadishu were similarly ill paid.
The money may have gone to fund the political ambitions of some of the smuggling group's alleged members: Mr Duale is said to have harboured hopes of forming a new government in Somalia after the death of the leading warlord General Mohamed Farah Aideed.
Somali children sold in Europe 'for prostitution'
Exploitation of young: Police uncover smuggling ring in Italy as Belgian abuse investigation widens
ANNE HANLEY Rome - The Independent
Monday, 9 September 1996
An Italo-Somali band smuggling Somali children into Italy for distribution around Europe and north America has been uncovered by Rome police, sparking concern that the children may have finished up in prostitution or paedophile rings.
Eight alleged members of the band were arrested on Saturday, after a three month investigation during which 15 children were traced and placed in care.
Ostensibly destined for adoption, children aged between three and 12 were bought or kidnapped from their parents in poor Somali villages. The adults received a pittance for parting with their offspring. The children have been brought to Italy at a rate of up to three a week over the past 18 months, police said.
Transported in the boots of cars, as parcels, or inside luggage, the terrified, starving children were taken to Mogadishu and then flown or shipped to Rome, where three couples who are now behind bars fattened them up before escorting them to their final destination.
Police have found catalogues, circulated in Europe and north America, containing photographs of the Somali children available for adoption, with price tags of up to 50m lire (pounds 20,000) for the youngest. They voiced serious concern, however, over the fate of the older children, pointing out that few people seeking to adopt would be interested in children of that age.
The three mixed Italo-Somali couples, all of whom have young children of their own, were used to ship the Somali children on once they had reached Rome and been prepared physically for the next stage in their ordeal: with no photograph of children under the age of 10 needed on passports, the couples could ferry the children to their final destination, passing them off as their own.
Providing the necessary seal of legality to the operation, police allege, was Cahie Douglas Hassan Duale, a leading member of Rome's sizeable Somali community and a well known lawyer with chambers in the prestigious Borgo area, overlooking St Peter's.
The arrest of Mr Duale, who is defence lawyer for the Somali warlord, Abdulli Mussa Bogar, has reopened the as yet unsolved mystery of the fatal shooting in Mogadishu in 1994 of the Italian journalist, Ilaria Alpi, and a cameraman, Milan Hrovatin.
Mr Bogar, the Sultan of Bosaso, was the last person interviewed by Alpi, shortly before she and Hrovatin were gunned down in what was clearly a premeditated killing in mid-afternoon on a busy city street. The interview focused on illegal arms trafficking between Italy and Somalia, but may also, investigators now believe, have touched on the trade in children.
Italian magistrates investigating the murder recently opened an inquiry into the administrators of an orphanage in Somalia who came forward voluntarily with information on Mr Bogar but provided false data which was obviously intended to confuse the investigation.
According to Rome police, the couples who hosted the Somali children in Italy reaped no great financial benefit from their part in the smuggling operation. The bulk of the earnings appears to have remained in Somalia, though couriers there responsible for seizing the children and taking them to Mogadishu were similarly ill paid.
The money may have gone to fund the political ambitions of some of the smuggling group's alleged members: Mr Duale is said to have harboured hopes of forming a new government in Somalia after the death of the leading warlord General Mohamed Farah Aideed.
This is what is happening in the Diaspora Somali community...
Indictment: Somali gangs ran sex ring in 3 states
by Sasha Aslanian, Minnesota Public Radio,
Laura Yuen, Minnesota Public Radio
November 8, 2010
St. Paul, Minn. — Twin Cities girls, including some who were 13 and younger, were shuffled across state lines to work as prostitutes in a wide-reaching sex-trafficking operation controlled by Somali gangs, according to an indictment unsealed Monday in federal court.
At a news conference in Nashville Monday morning, U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin announced the 24- count indictment against three women and 26 men. The alleged victims, all minors, were listed as Jane Doe 1 through 4.
"The indictment alleges that this conspiracy involved other children and victims in addition to Jane Does 1 through 4 over a significant period of time," said Martin. "The indictment sets forth in detail a wide-ranging conspiracy, both in duration and scope, to bring young girls -- some of whom were no more than children -- into this district for the purpose of engaging in sex acts for monetary gains by the defendants."
The defendants are listed by name, and nickname: Shorty, Forehead, Hollywood, Barnie.
The indictment describes how the girls were transported between Minnesota, Tennessee and Ohio, how cell phones were used to recruit customers, and how money, alcohol and drugs were exchanged for sex.
Three Minneapolis gangs allegedly operated the ring, including an all-female gang known as The Lady Outlaws. Working with the Somali Mafia and the Somali Outlaws, the group recruited pre-teen and teenage girls to have sex in exchange for cash, marijuana and other items, the indictment said.
The female victims were forced to engage in sex acts in places ranging from a Minneapolis apartment complex to a men's bathroom in a Blaine shopping mall.
In all, 29 people were indicted on charges of sex trafficking of juveniles and other crimes. The sex ring operated in the Twin Cities, Nashville, and Columbus, Ohio.
Authorities noted the unusual scope of the organized sex-trafficking operation in a press conference Monday in Nashville.
"The number of defendants, the number of states, the movement, that there were repeated victims, repeated commercial sex acts that were alleged in the indictment, gives you some sense of the size of the case," said John Morton, Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I would call this one of the more significant cases we've investigated in recent memory."
More suspectsIn addition, the gangs allegedly conspired to block the investigation and committed perjury while testifying before a federal grand jury.
The investigation began in 2008, and was led by St. Paul Police and members of the Task Force on Human Trafficking, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement.
The case first came to light in September, after investigators asked a Ramsey County judge for permission to search the cell phone records of a 15-year-old girl. Authorities believe the girl was lured into a large prostitution ring controlled by Somali gangs.
Officials say the Jane Does in the case are being taken care of and not in danger anymore. They warned law enforcement is watching the Jane Does, and anyone interfering with them or their families would be obstructing justice.
Twelve of the defendants made their first court appearance at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis Monday. The defendants are expected to be taken to Nashville to face charges there, as well.
While most of the defendants and victims are from Minnesota, a spokeswoman from the U.S. Attorney's office in Minneapolis said the decision was made to prosecute out of Nashville with assistance from Minneapolis.
If convicted of the sex-trafficking offenses, the defendants could face 15 years to life in prison.
Many Somali-Americans in Minnesota say they hope the developments today will help dismantle the shadowy underworld of human trafficking of their girls.
"In the Somali community, this is a very shameful act," said Dahir Jibreel, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center. "It's not something that people talk about in the open. We need to root out the problem."
Jibreel said he learned of several arrests this morning in Bloomington, Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Some say in general, trafficking victims are vulnerable to recruitment after running away from their homes. Some of the girls are lured by promises of a better life, and move into houses shared with other girls and their victimizers, who tended to be women, said community activist Abdirizak Bihi, who has counseled victims through his work with the group Civil Society.
"And many men come to the home providing small things such as paying for their cell phones, or stuff they want to buy, and taking advantage sexually of those young girls," Bihi told MPR News earlier this fall.
Authorities say the trafficking took place over the course of a decade, beginning in 2000. The gangs also transported the Somali- and African-American girls from the Twin Cities to other cities to work as prostitutes. Everyone who was involved in the case immigrated to the U.S. legally.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
BBC Radio 4 - The Somali Connection
Jenny Cuffe investigates how British-based Somalis are being lured into fighting for the al-Qaeda-linked Islamists of al-Shabaab.
There have been consistent rumours that dozens, perhaps scores of British-based Somali men have travelled to Somalia to join the militant Islamist group which was banned by the British Government earlier this year.
In September the rumours were given new urgency when the Director of MI5, Jonathan Evans, warned it was only a matter of time before the UK suffered an act of terrorism committed by al-Shabaab-trained Britons.
File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia. Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.
And the programme travels to the state of Minnesota to see how a vigorous FBI investigation and cooperation from the Somali community have laid-bare a pipeline which first lured, then transported young American Somalis to the training camps and battlefields of Somalia.
Producer: Andy Denwood.
To listen to the report, click here
There have been consistent rumours that dozens, perhaps scores of British-based Somali men have travelled to Somalia to join the militant Islamist group which was banned by the British Government earlier this year.
In September the rumours were given new urgency when the Director of MI5, Jonathan Evans, warned it was only a matter of time before the UK suffered an act of terrorism committed by al-Shabaab-trained Britons.
File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia. Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.
And the programme travels to the state of Minnesota to see how a vigorous FBI investigation and cooperation from the Somali community have laid-bare a pipeline which first lured, then transported young American Somalis to the training camps and battlefields of Somalia.
Producer: Andy Denwood.
To listen to the report, click here
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Council tax exemption for families who have children in FE or HE is also set to be a thing of the past
Historically parents of low income families have had the opportunity to offset their council tax against the prospect of their children attending FE/HE instiutions. The CSR has changed all that; the end of Local Education Authorities is near. As a result of this, their powers to issue grants and underwrite the policy of students being exempt from paying council tax is set to disappear. One massive reason for this is the 300% increase in tuition fees for university students that will price out the poor from attending universities and widen the gap between the haves and the have nots. Universal education in the United Kingdom is set to change forever.
University fees may rise to £9,000
Press Association 3/11/2010
Universities Minister David Willetts announced proposals to raise the tuition fee cap to £6,000, with institutions able to charge up to £9,000 in "exceptional circumstances."
He told MPs: "We believe a limit is desirable and are therefore proposing a basic threshold of £6,000 per annum, in exceptional circumstances there would be an absolute limit of £9,000."
Students currently pay £3,290 per year in tuition fees.
No publicly-funded university will be able to charge more than £9,000 for undergraduate courses, Mr Willetts said.
Institutions who impose fees of more than £6,000 will have to take part in a £150 million National Scholarships scheme - a bid to ensure that poorer students are not priced out of higher education.
The National Union of Students has previously called plans to effectively treble tuition fees "dangerous", warning that there is a risk students will be unable to afford to attend England elite universities.
NUS president Aaron Porter said earlier that they would also "saddle a generation with huge debts before they have even got on their bikes to find work".
In an oral statement, Mr Willetts told the Commons that the Government wanted to see universities offering scholarships to targeted students, which would mean their first year at university is free.
Institutions charging over £6,000 will also face new sanctions requiring them to offer outreach activities to attract poorer pupils, as well as financial support.
The end of 'permanent' social housing..
The difference between temporary and permanent social housing has been a hot topic for years. It is now set to end.
Social landlords to set tenancies and rents
20 October 2010 | By Tom Lloyd
Social landlords are to be given the freedom to raise rents towards market levels and introduce time-limited tenancies, the government has announced.
Under plans in today’s comprehensive spending review, landlords will be able to set rents between social and market levels for new tenants. They will also be able to offer fixed-term tenancies rather than agreements for life.
In his speech to Parliament, chancellor George Osborne said new social tenants could be ‘offered intermediate rents at around 80 per cent of market rent’.
The CSR document is less explicit, stating: ‘Social landlords will be able to offer a growing proportion of new social tenants new intermediate rental contracts that are more flexible, at rent levels between current market and social rents.’
It adds: ‘The government wants to make social housing more responsive, flexible and fair so that more people can access social housing in ways that better reflect their needs.’
Mr Osborne said that the new flexibilities would allow 150,000 affordable homes to be built over the next four years, coupled with £4.4 billion of investment. This is a cut of around 50 per cent on current levels of investment.
Richard Parker, head of housing at Pricewaterhousecoopers, said: ‘The introduction of “flexible tenancy”, for people who move into council housing for the first time, represents a paradigm shift in housing policy. But it could backfire if it’s not supported by a new approach to housing allocations.
‘If social housing continues to be allocated to those in greatest need, the government will in the first instance be housing people that will find it hardest to improve their circumstances. Rather than creating flexible tenures, the government could end up reinforcing residualisation
Social landlords to set tenancies and rents
20 October 2010 | By Tom Lloyd
Social landlords are to be given the freedom to raise rents towards market levels and introduce time-limited tenancies, the government has announced.
Under plans in today’s comprehensive spending review, landlords will be able to set rents between social and market levels for new tenants. They will also be able to offer fixed-term tenancies rather than agreements for life.
In his speech to Parliament, chancellor George Osborne said new social tenants could be ‘offered intermediate rents at around 80 per cent of market rent’.
The CSR document is less explicit, stating: ‘Social landlords will be able to offer a growing proportion of new social tenants new intermediate rental contracts that are more flexible, at rent levels between current market and social rents.’
It adds: ‘The government wants to make social housing more responsive, flexible and fair so that more people can access social housing in ways that better reflect their needs.’
Mr Osborne said that the new flexibilities would allow 150,000 affordable homes to be built over the next four years, coupled with £4.4 billion of investment. This is a cut of around 50 per cent on current levels of investment.
Richard Parker, head of housing at Pricewaterhousecoopers, said: ‘The introduction of “flexible tenancy”, for people who move into council housing for the first time, represents a paradigm shift in housing policy. But it could backfire if it’s not supported by a new approach to housing allocations.
‘If social housing continues to be allocated to those in greatest need, the government will in the first instance be housing people that will find it hardest to improve their circumstances. Rather than creating flexible tenures, the government could end up reinforcing residualisation
Crackdown on benefit cheats begins.......
Homelessness warning over new powers to tackle benefit and tax fraud
DWP crackdown to recover £1.1 billion
29/10/2010 | By Martin Hilditch
Homelessness departments face picking up the cost of a new drive by the Department for Work and Pensions to reduce fraud and error.
The DWP and HM Revenue & Customs published a joint plan last week outlining how they would work together to tackle fraud and error in the benefit and tax credit system.
It outlines how the government is planning to increase the amount it recovers by £1.1 billion by introducing new powers that allow the DWP to recover debts incurred through official error.
The DWP loses £1 billion to fraud, £1.1 billion due to official error and £1.1 billion due to customer error every year (see graph), the document reveals. The £3.1 billion lost is equivalent to 2.1 per cent of total expenditure.
The plan states: ‘While the department must take responsibility for payments made mistakenly by our staff, that does not give claimants the right to keep hold of public money not intended for them.’
The new plan states that the government feels its current debt recovery regime is ‘too slow’ and ‘does not provide a significant return for the taxpayer’.
New powers could lead to an increase in homelessness because the DWP will be able to seek a court order requiring debtors to sell their house to pay off debts or seize the assets of people who have consistently refused to pay.
In future the DWP will also seek powers to increase the rate at which it can recoup fraud-related debts from means tested benefits from £13.20 per week to £16.50 - a 25 per cent increase.
It will also introduce a system that allows it to require that money is deducted from an employee’s earnings. It can currently apply to a court for this option but it will seek powers to allow it to introduce a new ‘fast track’ system that bypasses the need.
Council homelessness officials, however, are understood to be alarmed that the tough new regime will see their costs jump dramatically. The increasingly tough approach has already had an impact in some local authority areas.
One source said that he has already seen an increase in contact from people who have been pursued by HMRC and have lost their homes as a result.
‘The end result is those claimants end up here,’ he said. ‘We then pick up the costs via housing benefit.
DWP crackdown to recover £1.1 billion
29/10/2010 | By Martin Hilditch
Homelessness departments face picking up the cost of a new drive by the Department for Work and Pensions to reduce fraud and error.
The DWP and HM Revenue & Customs published a joint plan last week outlining how they would work together to tackle fraud and error in the benefit and tax credit system.
It outlines how the government is planning to increase the amount it recovers by £1.1 billion by introducing new powers that allow the DWP to recover debts incurred through official error.
The DWP loses £1 billion to fraud, £1.1 billion due to official error and £1.1 billion due to customer error every year (see graph), the document reveals. The £3.1 billion lost is equivalent to 2.1 per cent of total expenditure.
The plan states: ‘While the department must take responsibility for payments made mistakenly by our staff, that does not give claimants the right to keep hold of public money not intended for them.’
The new plan states that the government feels its current debt recovery regime is ‘too slow’ and ‘does not provide a significant return for the taxpayer’.
New powers could lead to an increase in homelessness because the DWP will be able to seek a court order requiring debtors to sell their house to pay off debts or seize the assets of people who have consistently refused to pay.
In future the DWP will also seek powers to increase the rate at which it can recoup fraud-related debts from means tested benefits from £13.20 per week to £16.50 - a 25 per cent increase.
It will also introduce a system that allows it to require that money is deducted from an employee’s earnings. It can currently apply to a court for this option but it will seek powers to allow it to introduce a new ‘fast track’ system that bypasses the need.
Council homelessness officials, however, are understood to be alarmed that the tough new regime will see their costs jump dramatically. The increasingly tough approach has already had an impact in some local authority areas.
One source said that he has already seen an increase in contact from people who have been pursued by HMRC and have lost their homes as a result.
‘The end result is those claimants end up here,’ he said. ‘We then pick up the costs via housing benefit.
Inside Housing - Social engineering in Brent?
29 October 2010 | By Carl Brown
Planning consent has been granted for a £4.5 billion scheme in London which will deliver 7,500 homes.
A section 106 deal has been agreed between Barnet Council and Brent Cross Cricklewood Development Partners - a consortium of real estate company Hammerson PLC and asset manager Standard Life Investments.
The deal, which will see BCCDP contribute nearly £1 billion towards transport and community infrastructure, means full planning consent for the scheme has now been granted.
Work on the scheme was halted earlier this year when then communities secretary John Denham issued a ‘stop notice’ to allow further consideration of the plans. After the election his successor, Eric Pickles, ruled there was no need for a public inquiry into the scheme and work could go ahead.
Jonathan Joseph, development director for BCCDP, said: ‘A vital part of our work moving forward will be engagement with local people and the wider community to ensure that everyone is fully involved with and informed of our plans.’
Planning consent has been granted for a £4.5 billion scheme in London which will deliver 7,500 homes.
A section 106 deal has been agreed between Barnet Council and Brent Cross Cricklewood Development Partners - a consortium of real estate company Hammerson PLC and asset manager Standard Life Investments.
The deal, which will see BCCDP contribute nearly £1 billion towards transport and community infrastructure, means full planning consent for the scheme has now been granted.
Work on the scheme was halted earlier this year when then communities secretary John Denham issued a ‘stop notice’ to allow further consideration of the plans. After the election his successor, Eric Pickles, ruled there was no need for a public inquiry into the scheme and work could go ahead.
Jonathan Joseph, development director for BCCDP, said: ‘A vital part of our work moving forward will be engagement with local people and the wider community to ensure that everyone is fully involved with and informed of our plans.’
Inside Housing - £946m fund to drive house building
1 November 2010 | By Rhiannon Bury
The government is putting £946 million into a scheme to incentivise house building over four years.
The Local Growth white paper published last week confirmed details of funding for the New Homes Bonus scheme. £196 million will be available next year, with £250 million in each of the next three years.
Starting in 2011/12 the scheme will match fund the additional council tax for each new home built and property brought back into use for six years after the work is completed.
For affordable homes the government will increase payments to 125 per cent of the council tax income.
The white paper says the government will publish a consultation with its proposed model for the New Homes Bonus ‘shortly’.
It calls the scheme the ‘cornerstone of the new framework for incentivising housing growth’, and indicates that it will be a permanent part of the local government finance system.
The government is putting £946 million into a scheme to incentivise house building over four years.
The Local Growth white paper published last week confirmed details of funding for the New Homes Bonus scheme. £196 million will be available next year, with £250 million in each of the next three years.
Starting in 2011/12 the scheme will match fund the additional council tax for each new home built and property brought back into use for six years after the work is completed.
For affordable homes the government will increase payments to 125 per cent of the council tax income.
The white paper says the government will publish a consultation with its proposed model for the New Homes Bonus ‘shortly’.
It calls the scheme the ‘cornerstone of the new framework for incentivising housing growth’, and indicates that it will be a permanent part of the local government finance system.
Inside Housing - Government shifts responsibility for ASB
2 November 2010 | By Rhiannon Bury
Communities and local agencies should take the lead in tackling anti-social behaviour, the minister responsible for crime prevention has said.
Speaking at the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group conference in Birmingham today, James Brokenshire said the government wants to shift accountability from national to local level.
‘The problems of anti-social behaviour haven’t gone away, and the system routinely fails the most vulnerable,’ he said.
‘The government wants to see a shift, a new approach that gets rid of diktats and bureaucracy and sees professionals and communities join forces to beat the problem.’
He said communities would be given the tools and powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, but that they also need to recognise their role in tackling the problem.
‘We want tools that are restorative, to nip bad behaviour in the bud. Even in difficult times tackling anti-social behaviour must be core business for all of us,’ he said.
Sarah Webb, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said the speech was about the political agenda.
She said: ‘I don’t think the biggest problem we are all facing is not knowing what local communities want.’
Communities and local agencies should take the lead in tackling anti-social behaviour, the minister responsible for crime prevention has said.
Speaking at the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group conference in Birmingham today, James Brokenshire said the government wants to shift accountability from national to local level.
‘The problems of anti-social behaviour haven’t gone away, and the system routinely fails the most vulnerable,’ he said.
‘The government wants to see a shift, a new approach that gets rid of diktats and bureaucracy and sees professionals and communities join forces to beat the problem.’
He said communities would be given the tools and powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, but that they also need to recognise their role in tackling the problem.
‘We want tools that are restorative, to nip bad behaviour in the bud. Even in difficult times tackling anti-social behaviour must be core business for all of us,’ he said.
Sarah Webb, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said the speech was about the political agenda.
She said: ‘I don’t think the biggest problem we are all facing is not knowing what local communities want.’
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Schizophrenic mother who stabbed three-year-old daughter and doused body in acid to stay in secure hospital
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:04 PM on 28th October 2010
A schizophrenic mother who stabbed her three-year-old daughter to death before dousing her body in acid must stay in a secure psychiatric hospital for the public's protection, a judge ruled today.
Iman Omar Yousef, 25, was sentenced by Mr Justice Flaux after a jury ruled she unlawfully killed Alia Ahmed Jama at their home in Erdington, Birmingham.
Yousef, an asylum seeker from Somalia, was initially charged with Alia's murder but after psychiatric assessment she was ruled unfit to plead to the charge and jurors at Birmingham Crown Court were instructed to consider whether she committed the act of unlawfully killing her daughter.
The child's body was discovered by police officers who forced entry to Yousef's home in Milverton Road on February 13.
The court heard the child had been stabbed repeatedly and acid had corroded her skin, bones and internal organs.
The day before, social workers had visited the rented property amid concerns it was unsuitable for the child and questions over whether she was being adequately ‘supervised’
Grim discovery:
The body of Alia Ahmed Jama was found at this house in Milverton Road, Erdington, Birmingham
The court heard that later that evening, Yousef, a Somali asylum seeker, took the child to a police station in Birmingham city centre where she demanded officers find them new accommodation in a hostel.
After being told there was none available, the pair returned to their home in the city’s Erdington suburb on foot and by bus – the last time Alia was seen alive.
The next morning, Yousef travelled to Leicester to the home of her mother – who was immediately worried that Alia was not with her.
After Yousef told an aunt that Alia was ‘in a safe place’, her mother rang police who forced entry into Yousef’s home.
Prosecutor James Burbidge QC told the court that officers were confronted by the ‘truly shocking sight’ of the child’s decomposed body in a room thick with the smell of acid.
Mr Burbidge told the jury at Birmingham Crown Court that Alia was ‘killed swiftly’ and that knife imprints which went through the carpet, underlay and floorboards matched a ‘large kitchen knife’ type weapon.
Yousef's family told officers they had been concerned about her mental health since she arrived from the Netherlands in 2007. She had been talking to herself and had started carrying knives
Mr Burbidge told the jury that when Yousef had gone to police asking for new accommodation, she had claimed people who had ‘abused’ her in the past were trying to enter her home. She was given security advice.
But the alleged abuse was ‘entirely imagined’, Mr Burbidge added.
Legal stimulant growing in popularity says Home Office
The Yorkshire Post
Published Date: 12 October 2010
By Andrew Robinson
USE of a legal stimulant associated with immigrants could be growing in popularity among UK-born citizens, according to a report.
Khat, a vegetable stimulant that causes tooth loss, is common among Somali, Kenyan, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities, but is increasingly popular among women and young people, according to a report published by the Home Office.
Interviews with im
ADVERTISEMENTmigrant communities in Sheffield, Cardiff and London suggest that the number and variety of outlets trading khat has increased significantly over the years, partly as a result of increased immigration to the UK.
It is now being sold at car boot sales, in grocery stores, cafes, restaurants and specialist outlets.
It is sold wrapped in banana leaves, known as 'bundles', and users chew between one and five bundles in a session. A bundle costs from £3 to £5
Those interviewed said that some white people were taking up khat chewing.
One Somali said: "I have met a white truck driver and two white students who said they had exams and wanted to stay up. The driver bought about three bundles. He said he was going on a trip and needed to stay awake."
Regular users of khat reported health problems including tooth loss, stomach problems, mental health issues and sleeplessness.
Calls for a Government ban on khat were made by some of those questioned.
Somali women were particularly keen for the drug to be made illegal.
One said: "People will get back to their normal lives, look for work and help their families that they have neglected for so long."
The report concluded that few services existed for khat users, though demand for treatment was thought to be low.
It said that a ban would be welcomed by some but opposed by others.
The report says: "The issue of banning khat provoked strong views on both sides, with some people strongly in favour of a ban, whilst others would view this as an unwarranted intrusion in a long-standing cultural practice."
A 2008 Government drug strategy recommended that research be carried out into the social harm caused by khat.
It also urged consideration be given to "culturally appropriate responses" to the needs of khat users and their families.
Published Date: 12 October 2010
By Andrew Robinson
USE of a legal stimulant associated with immigrants could be growing in popularity among UK-born citizens, according to a report.
Khat, a vegetable stimulant that causes tooth loss, is common among Somali, Kenyan, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities, but is increasingly popular among women and young people, according to a report published by the Home Office.
Interviews with im
ADVERTISEMENTmigrant communities in Sheffield, Cardiff and London suggest that the number and variety of outlets trading khat has increased significantly over the years, partly as a result of increased immigration to the UK.
It is now being sold at car boot sales, in grocery stores, cafes, restaurants and specialist outlets.
It is sold wrapped in banana leaves, known as 'bundles', and users chew between one and five bundles in a session. A bundle costs from £3 to £5
Those interviewed said that some white people were taking up khat chewing.
One Somali said: "I have met a white truck driver and two white students who said they had exams and wanted to stay up. The driver bought about three bundles. He said he was going on a trip and needed to stay awake."
Regular users of khat reported health problems including tooth loss, stomach problems, mental health issues and sleeplessness.
Calls for a Government ban on khat were made by some of those questioned.
Somali women were particularly keen for the drug to be made illegal.
One said: "People will get back to their normal lives, look for work and help their families that they have neglected for so long."
The report concluded that few services existed for khat users, though demand for treatment was thought to be low.
It said that a ban would be welcomed by some but opposed by others.
The report says: "The issue of banning khat provoked strong views on both sides, with some people strongly in favour of a ban, whilst others would view this as an unwarranted intrusion in a long-standing cultural practice."
A 2008 Government drug strategy recommended that research be carried out into the social harm caused by khat.
It also urged consideration be given to "culturally appropriate responses" to the needs of khat users and their families.
Missing Somalis?
Harrow Times
9:27am Friday 29th October 2010
FEARS are growing for a vulnerable 14-year-old Somali girl who may be in Wembley.
Sundas Adaed went missing from her home in Acton last Friday and is known to visit Wembley, as well as Hillingdon, Hayes and East London.
She is described as black, around 5ft 4inches tall, with black afro hair and has blonde highlight in her fringe.
It is believed she was wearing blue jeans and a black coat when she went missing.
Anyone with information can contact police on 0300 123 1212 quoting missing persons reference number 10MIS042345
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Crackdown on benefit cheats planned
High-tech data-tracking techniques are to be deployed in a new drive to clamp down on benefit and tax credit fraud costing the taxpayer £1.5 billion a year.
Some 200 additional inspectors are to be recruited to a new investigation service, which will see a mobile taskforce sent to high-fraud areas to check every single claim, said welfare reform minister Lord Freud.
By sharing data from different government offices and credit reference agencies, the investigation service aims to track the "muddy footprints" of professional cheats and detect the patterns of their fraudulent activities.
Lord Freud warned that no wrongful claimant will be let off under the new measures. Minor offenders will be issued with instant fines of £50 or more, while repeat fraudsters face a three-year benefit ban under a "three-strikes-and-you're-out" rule.
Investigators will also aim to seize more of the assets of those found guilty of benefit fraud.
Speaking ahead of Monday's launch of the new strategy, Lord Freud said: "Fraud and error is costing the Government and the taxpayer £5 billion a year - this is unfair and unacceptable.
"We are reforming the system and stepping up our efforts to catch the benefit and tax cheats who are stealing money which is meant for the most vulnerable people in our society.
"When people are convicted we will get back the money we are owed by introducing tough punishments and stripping the assets of criminal gangs - my message to them is that benefit fraud is a crime that just doesn't pay."
Some £5.2 billion of taxpayers' money is lost through fraud and error in benefits and tax credits each year.
Fraud accounts for £1.5 billion of this total, said the Department for Work and Pensions, with £1 billion relating to benefit fraud and £500 million to tax credits.
Some 200 additional inspectors are to be recruited to a new investigation service, which will see a mobile taskforce sent to high-fraud areas to check every single claim, said welfare reform minister Lord Freud.
By sharing data from different government offices and credit reference agencies, the investigation service aims to track the "muddy footprints" of professional cheats and detect the patterns of their fraudulent activities.
Lord Freud warned that no wrongful claimant will be let off under the new measures. Minor offenders will be issued with instant fines of £50 or more, while repeat fraudsters face a three-year benefit ban under a "three-strikes-and-you're-out" rule.
Investigators will also aim to seize more of the assets of those found guilty of benefit fraud.
Speaking ahead of Monday's launch of the new strategy, Lord Freud said: "Fraud and error is costing the Government and the taxpayer £5 billion a year - this is unfair and unacceptable.
"We are reforming the system and stepping up our efforts to catch the benefit and tax cheats who are stealing money which is meant for the most vulnerable people in our society.
"When people are convicted we will get back the money we are owed by introducing tough punishments and stripping the assets of criminal gangs - my message to them is that benefit fraud is a crime that just doesn't pay."
Some £5.2 billion of taxpayers' money is lost through fraud and error in benefits and tax credits each year.
Fraud accounts for £1.5 billion of this total, said the Department for Work and Pensions, with £1 billion relating to benefit fraud and £500 million to tax credits.
In line for a payout, Somali criminal who's cost us £½m
By James Slack, Daily Mail
Last updated at 1:05 AM on 15th October 2010
A Foreign criminal who has cost the taxpayer at least £500,000 in an extraordinary deportation farce will pocket a huge payout for compensation, it emerged last night.
Since arriving in Britain claiming asylum, aged 15, the Somalian has been jailed for more than a dozen crimes – including violence, burglary and robbery.
He has spent around 100 months in custody – at a cost to the public of more than £300,000.
The Somalian has spent around 100 months in custody at a cost to the public of more than £300,000. The man, who has been receiving legal aid throughout his criminal career, re-offended within days or weeks every time he was released.
He was first told he was being considered for deportation in 2001, but due to the immigration farce which the last Government presided over, officials failed to kick him out.
From 2004, when his last jail sentence was completed, to 2007, he was held in an immigration detention centre – at a cost of around £40,000 a year, to stop him fleeing. Now judges have decided that – for two months of that period – he was being held ‘illegally’. Known only as MH, he will receive a compensation payout which, in other similar cases, has averaged £16,000.
He had wanted more and appealed the case through the court system, assisted by legal aid. He is still in Britain and, given anybody facing removal to Somalia can claim their human rights will be breached, there is no guarantee he will ever be removed.
His various court cases are believed to have cost £200,000.
Last night, it sparked demands for reform of the legal aid system.
Details of the shambles emerged in papers published by the Court of Appeal yesterday.
They reveal MH arrived in the UK aged 15 claiming asylum, and was given temporary permission to stay. This expired in 1997 and was not renewed, making him an illegal immigrant. His offending career began in April 1996 with a caution for shoplifting, and quickly escalated to robbery.
After a string of convictions the Home Office served him with a deportation order in April 2004.
MH appealed but a judge said in 2005 he was ‘unlikely to desist from his pattern of offending’.
At this time, the Home Office was in the grip of the foreign prisoner crisis – which culminated in the mistaken release of 1,000 inmates without even being considered for deportation. As a result, MH was never kicked out, and remained in detention until 2007 – when he was finally released.
He then went to court claiming his rights had been violated and a judge ruled two of his months in custody had been unlawful and granted him the right to a damages payout for ‘false imprisonment’.
However MH’s lawyers went to the Appeal Court in a bid to boost the award, claiming he should have been released much earlier.
The appeal was dismissed but the decision still means MH will get compensation for two months of ‘unlawful imprisonment’.
Last updated at 1:05 AM on 15th October 2010
A Foreign criminal who has cost the taxpayer at least £500,000 in an extraordinary deportation farce will pocket a huge payout for compensation, it emerged last night.
Since arriving in Britain claiming asylum, aged 15, the Somalian has been jailed for more than a dozen crimes – including violence, burglary and robbery.
He has spent around 100 months in custody – at a cost to the public of more than £300,000.
The Somalian has spent around 100 months in custody at a cost to the public of more than £300,000. The man, who has been receiving legal aid throughout his criminal career, re-offended within days or weeks every time he was released.
He was first told he was being considered for deportation in 2001, but due to the immigration farce which the last Government presided over, officials failed to kick him out.
From 2004, when his last jail sentence was completed, to 2007, he was held in an immigration detention centre – at a cost of around £40,000 a year, to stop him fleeing. Now judges have decided that – for two months of that period – he was being held ‘illegally’. Known only as MH, he will receive a compensation payout which, in other similar cases, has averaged £16,000.
He had wanted more and appealed the case through the court system, assisted by legal aid. He is still in Britain and, given anybody facing removal to Somalia can claim their human rights will be breached, there is no guarantee he will ever be removed.
His various court cases are believed to have cost £200,000.
Last night, it sparked demands for reform of the legal aid system.
Details of the shambles emerged in papers published by the Court of Appeal yesterday.
They reveal MH arrived in the UK aged 15 claiming asylum, and was given temporary permission to stay. This expired in 1997 and was not renewed, making him an illegal immigrant. His offending career began in April 1996 with a caution for shoplifting, and quickly escalated to robbery.
After a string of convictions the Home Office served him with a deportation order in April 2004.
MH appealed but a judge said in 2005 he was ‘unlikely to desist from his pattern of offending’.
At this time, the Home Office was in the grip of the foreign prisoner crisis – which culminated in the mistaken release of 1,000 inmates without even being considered for deportation. As a result, MH was never kicked out, and remained in detention until 2007 – when he was finally released.
He then went to court claiming his rights had been violated and a judge ruled two of his months in custody had been unlawful and granted him the right to a damages payout for ‘false imprisonment’.
However MH’s lawyers went to the Appeal Court in a bid to boost the award, claiming he should have been released much earlier.
The appeal was dismissed but the decision still means MH will get compensation for two months of ‘unlawful imprisonment’.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Equality and Human Rights Commission - Triennial Review 2010 - How Fair is Britain?
The EHRC have launched their first review, download the seven hundred page report chapter by chapter by clicking here
Some snippets for your delectation:
On health:
It should be remembered that smaller ethnic groups that remain un-enumerated or hidden within larger categories, such as Somalis within the broad Black African group, may experience even worse health than the Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups.
Maternal mortality: In 2008 the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed concern over ‘The high rate of maternal mortality among all ethnic minorities [as well as high numbers of miscarriages and stillbirths particularly of women from Traveller communities]’. Black African women who are asylum seekers are estimated to have a mortality rate seven times higher than for White women, partly due to problems in accessing maternal healthcare.
Rates of admission and of compulsory detention in mental health institutions are higher among Black Africans, Black Caribbean, mixed White/Black Caribbean, White/Black African and also Black other groups which represents an enduring and worrying inequality – a factor which may be reflected in the higher rates of suicide among young Black Caribbean and Black African men aged 13-24 years set out in Chapter 6: Life.
Some snippets for your delectation:
On health:
It should be remembered that smaller ethnic groups that remain un-enumerated or hidden within larger categories, such as Somalis within the broad Black African group, may experience even worse health than the Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups.
Maternal mortality: In 2008 the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed concern over ‘The high rate of maternal mortality among all ethnic minorities [as well as high numbers of miscarriages and stillbirths particularly of women from Traveller communities]’. Black African women who are asylum seekers are estimated to have a mortality rate seven times higher than for White women, partly due to problems in accessing maternal healthcare.
Rates of admission and of compulsory detention in mental health institutions are higher among Black Africans, Black Caribbean, mixed White/Black Caribbean, White/Black African and also Black other groups which represents an enduring and worrying inequality – a factor which may be reflected in the higher rates of suicide among young Black Caribbean and Black African men aged 13-24 years set out in Chapter 6: Life.
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - Khat (Qat): Assessment of Risk to the Individual and Communities in the UK.
Executive Summary
1. Introduction
1.1 Khat is a herbal product consisting of the leaves and shoots of the shrub Catha edulis. It is cultivated in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and chewed to obtain a stimulant effect.
1.2 Khat is not currently controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Two of the chemical constituents isolated when the plant is chewed, cathinone and cathine, are classified as Class C drugs under the Act.
1.3 This report considers the necessity of inclusion of khat under the Misuse of Drugs Act based on its harmfulness or other legislative changes that may be appropriate.
1.4 The report is based on a detailed scrutiny of the relevant scientific literature. It considers the current level of khat use in the UK, the health risks from using khat, and the harms to society as a consequence of khat use.
2. Background
2.1 In February 2005 the Minister responsible for Drugs asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to advise the government as to the current situation in the UK and the risks associated with khat use. This report is the basis of the Khat Working Group’s advice to the ACMD.
2.2 The ACMD is established under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act to keep under review the drug situation in the United Kingdom and to advise government ministers on measures to be taken for preventing the misuse of drugs or for dealing with the social problems connected with their misuse.
2.3 The classification of drugs, in Schedule 2 of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, is based on the harm they cause:-
Class A: (most harmful) includes cocaine and heroin.
Class B: (intermediate category) includes amphetamines and barbiturates.
Class C: (least harmful) includes cannabis, anabolic steroids and benzodiazepines.
2.4 When advising about harm the ACMD takes account of the physical harm they may cause, their pleasurable effects, any associated withdrawal reactions after chronic use, and the harm that misuse may bring to families and society at large.
3. Epidemiology
3.1 Information about the use of khat in the UK comes from reports into the communities from countries that traditionally use khat. Such reports are subject to sampling bias due the way interviewees are recruited. The largest epidemiological survey of drug misuse in England and Wales, the British Crime Survey, does not include khat as one of its reference drugs.
3.2 Most of the prevalence data comes from the Somali community. Figures range from 34% to 67% of the Somali community who identify themselves as current users of khat. The figure of 34% is from the highest power study and likely to be the most accurate figure. The wide range is due to the sampling techniques employed, males tend to report more use than females, so if the group sampled is biased toward men, the prevalence increases.
3.3 There are no published reports in the other individual ethnic communities. When ethnic communities are grouped together people reporting current khat use ranges between 37% and 60%.
3.4 Levels of khat use in traditional khat chewing countries are comparable if not slightly higher, than rates in the UK. In Somalia a large survey found 31% of respondents admitting current use. In Ethiopia this was 50%, and in Yemen 82% of men and 43% of women admitted they currently used khat.
3.5 There are no reports of khat use in the UK outside of the communities that traditionally use khat.
4. Import, export, distribution and use of khat in the UK
4.1 Approximately 6 tons of khat arrives in the UK per week, mostly by air from Kenya. The bulk of this is in transit for supply to the United States of America. The UK is a base for khat distribution to many countries, including the US, where the plant is illegal.
4.2 There is an efficient distribution network to the khat using communities across the UK. Most users buy khat at the mafresh, a meeting place where khat is bought and chewed. Mafreshi proprietors often sell soft drinks and cigarettes alongside khat. The trade in khat is a legitimate business and is quite distinct from the trade in illegal drugs.
4.3 Mafreshi are subject to health and safety requirements as they are public places where a product is sold and consumed, however many are unknown to the local authorities. They are of varying standards of cleanliness and safety. Alternatively khat is bought at local shops, in markets or via ‘mobile traders’ (people selling khat from the back of a car or van on the street).
4.4 Men are more likely to use at the mafresh and women are more likely to use at home, often alone. There is under-reporting of women’s use of khat probably as a result of the extra stigma they face.
4.5 Khat is used in bundles of approximately 250g of fresh stems and leaves; each bundle costs £3-5 (approximately £15/kg). In the United States of America, where khat is illegal, the street price is approximately $400/kg.
4.6 Most people who use khat, chew it once or twice a week. The average chewing session lasts 6 hours and usually 1 or 2 bundles of khat are consumed. A significant minority chew daily and use greater amounts per day.
5. The pharmacology of khat
5.1 Cathinone and cathine are alkaloid stimulants present in khat and are responsible for its subjective effects. Chewing is an efficient way of extracting these chemicals from the plant matter. Khat degrades with time so it must be consumed within 36 hours of harvesting.
5.2 Effects from chewing khat can be felt within 30minutes, but maximal plasma concentrations occur after about 2 hours. The time taken for the drugs to be eliminated from the blood is approximately 8-20 hours for cathinone and 25 hours for cathine.
5.3 There is evidence that khat, like other drugs of misuse, can cause the release of the neurochemical dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is thought to be responsible for the re-enforcing properties of drugs of abuse. Khat may also act on central serotonergic and peripheral adrenergic neurotransmitter systems.
6. Risks to physical health
6.1 There is evidence that chewing khat is a risk factor for the development of oral cancers. In pre-clinical and clinical studies, chewing khat leads to macroscopic and microscopic pre-cancerous changes in the buccal mucosa.
6.2 Khat has significant sympathomimetic properties. Chewing khat leads to an increase in blood pressure and may precipitate myocardial infarction. It is difficult to tease out the specific risk factor of khat for heart disease as most users also smoke tobacco during a khat session.
6.3 There is some evidence that khat affects the reproductive health of both sexes. In women it may be associated with delivery of low birth weight babies (as with smoking cigarettes), although the evidence for this is not strong. Cathine is excreted in breast milk although the impact of this is unknown.
6.4 In men there is some evidence that using khat is associated with lower sperm
motility and sperm count. Some studies report an increase in libido when using khat and others have found decreased libido with chronic use of khat.
6.5 Residual pesticide, dimethoate, has been found on khat leaves produced in Yemen. There is no published data on khat produced in other countries. Chronic dimethoate poisoning can lead to weakness, fatigue, slurred speech and lack of co-ordination.
6.6 Khat administered chronically to animals causes an increase in liver transaminases and signs of chronic hepatic inflammation. There are no studies investigating the effects of khat on the hepatic system in humans.
7. Risk of addiction and to psychiatric health
7.1 There is evidence that khat may cause the release of dopamine in the brain. Release of this neurotransmitter is thought to be important in the development of dependency on drugs of abuse.
7.2 Dependency on a drug is defined as a syndrome of symptoms related to the desire to use a drug, the control over drug use, tolerance of drug effects, withdrawal symptoms, harms from drug use and neglect of other activities of life.
7.3 There is evidence that some individuals use khat in a dependent way. However, for the majority of users this does not appear to be the case. Animals can be made dependent on khat and they will self-administer the drug in a dependent way.
7.4 There are case reports of people developing psychosis after use of khat. Unfortunately, as yet, there are few controlled studies investigating the possibility of a causal link between khat use and psychosis. Evidence points to social stress such as the effects of war on the Somali population mixed with misuse of khat can increase the likelihood of the development of psychotic symptoms.
7.5 As yet there is insufficient evidence to make a definitive statement about the risks of developing psychosis after using khat. However, in countries where khat use is widespread there is no corresponding elevation in prevalence of psychotic disorders. This suggests that khat is not a causal factor for the development of psychosis.
7.6 In common with other stimulants, users of khat often report feeling low in mood after a khat using session. However, there is no evidence that khat use is a risk factor for developing depression.
8. Risk to society
8.1 The partners of khat users often complain that their partners’ khat use is responsible for lack of input into family life, for family arguments, and leads to excessive expenditure of the family budget. It is cited as a reason for family breakdown by spouses, and there is a fear that men using excessively (as heads of the family unit) lead to isolation for their spouses and children. It is impossible to say if khat use is the cause of or the scapegoat for family disharmony.
8.2 Khat users appear to have very low levels of other drug or alcohol use. There is no evidence that khat use is a gateway to the use of other stimulant drugs, although there is however, high associated tobacco use.
8.3 Khat does not lead to acquisitive crime in the way that is evident with crack or heroin use. This may be due to its low cost and its lower re-enforcing properties.
8.4 There is evidence that administering khat to rats causes an increase in aggressive behaviour. There is only anecdotal evidence of the same response in humans.
8.5 There are several case reports of individuals using khat and driving. Khat is likely to reduce attention span whilst driving, however co-ordination appears to be minimally affected.
8.6 The khat industry is a legitimate business. There is no indication of organised criminals or terrorists being involved in the UK trade, perhaps because of its legality. However, since the USA made khat illegal there is some evidence of organised criminals becoming involved in its shipment to the USA.
9. Discussion
9.1 Existing evidence suggests that khat use is widespread in the UK among immigrant communities from the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. There is no evidence of its use by the wider community.
9.2 Khat is a much less potent stimulant than other commonly used drugs such as amphetamine or cocaine. However some individuals use it in a dependent manner.
9.3 Khat use is a risk factor for oral cancers and possibly for myocardial infarction. Residual pesticides on the leaves of khat represent a health risk.
9.4 There is some evidence of an association with chronic khat use and development of psychological symptoms. However, as yet there is no proven causal association.
The full report can be accessed here.
1. Introduction
1.1 Khat is a herbal product consisting of the leaves and shoots of the shrub Catha edulis. It is cultivated in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and chewed to obtain a stimulant effect.
1.2 Khat is not currently controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Two of the chemical constituents isolated when the plant is chewed, cathinone and cathine, are classified as Class C drugs under the Act.
1.3 This report considers the necessity of inclusion of khat under the Misuse of Drugs Act based on its harmfulness or other legislative changes that may be appropriate.
1.4 The report is based on a detailed scrutiny of the relevant scientific literature. It considers the current level of khat use in the UK, the health risks from using khat, and the harms to society as a consequence of khat use.
2. Background
2.1 In February 2005 the Minister responsible for Drugs asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to advise the government as to the current situation in the UK and the risks associated with khat use. This report is the basis of the Khat Working Group’s advice to the ACMD.
2.2 The ACMD is established under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act to keep under review the drug situation in the United Kingdom and to advise government ministers on measures to be taken for preventing the misuse of drugs or for dealing with the social problems connected with their misuse.
2.3 The classification of drugs, in Schedule 2 of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, is based on the harm they cause:-
Class A: (most harmful) includes cocaine and heroin.
Class B: (intermediate category) includes amphetamines and barbiturates.
Class C: (least harmful) includes cannabis, anabolic steroids and benzodiazepines.
2.4 When advising about harm the ACMD takes account of the physical harm they may cause, their pleasurable effects, any associated withdrawal reactions after chronic use, and the harm that misuse may bring to families and society at large.
3. Epidemiology
3.1 Information about the use of khat in the UK comes from reports into the communities from countries that traditionally use khat. Such reports are subject to sampling bias due the way interviewees are recruited. The largest epidemiological survey of drug misuse in England and Wales, the British Crime Survey, does not include khat as one of its reference drugs.
3.2 Most of the prevalence data comes from the Somali community. Figures range from 34% to 67% of the Somali community who identify themselves as current users of khat. The figure of 34% is from the highest power study and likely to be the most accurate figure. The wide range is due to the sampling techniques employed, males tend to report more use than females, so if the group sampled is biased toward men, the prevalence increases.
3.3 There are no published reports in the other individual ethnic communities. When ethnic communities are grouped together people reporting current khat use ranges between 37% and 60%.
3.4 Levels of khat use in traditional khat chewing countries are comparable if not slightly higher, than rates in the UK. In Somalia a large survey found 31% of respondents admitting current use. In Ethiopia this was 50%, and in Yemen 82% of men and 43% of women admitted they currently used khat.
3.5 There are no reports of khat use in the UK outside of the communities that traditionally use khat.
4. Import, export, distribution and use of khat in the UK
4.1 Approximately 6 tons of khat arrives in the UK per week, mostly by air from Kenya. The bulk of this is in transit for supply to the United States of America. The UK is a base for khat distribution to many countries, including the US, where the plant is illegal.
4.2 There is an efficient distribution network to the khat using communities across the UK. Most users buy khat at the mafresh, a meeting place where khat is bought and chewed. Mafreshi proprietors often sell soft drinks and cigarettes alongside khat. The trade in khat is a legitimate business and is quite distinct from the trade in illegal drugs.
4.3 Mafreshi are subject to health and safety requirements as they are public places where a product is sold and consumed, however many are unknown to the local authorities. They are of varying standards of cleanliness and safety. Alternatively khat is bought at local shops, in markets or via ‘mobile traders’ (people selling khat from the back of a car or van on the street).
4.4 Men are more likely to use at the mafresh and women are more likely to use at home, often alone. There is under-reporting of women’s use of khat probably as a result of the extra stigma they face.
4.5 Khat is used in bundles of approximately 250g of fresh stems and leaves; each bundle costs £3-5 (approximately £15/kg). In the United States of America, where khat is illegal, the street price is approximately $400/kg.
4.6 Most people who use khat, chew it once or twice a week. The average chewing session lasts 6 hours and usually 1 or 2 bundles of khat are consumed. A significant minority chew daily and use greater amounts per day.
5. The pharmacology of khat
5.1 Cathinone and cathine are alkaloid stimulants present in khat and are responsible for its subjective effects. Chewing is an efficient way of extracting these chemicals from the plant matter. Khat degrades with time so it must be consumed within 36 hours of harvesting.
5.2 Effects from chewing khat can be felt within 30minutes, but maximal plasma concentrations occur after about 2 hours. The time taken for the drugs to be eliminated from the blood is approximately 8-20 hours for cathinone and 25 hours for cathine.
5.3 There is evidence that khat, like other drugs of misuse, can cause the release of the neurochemical dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is thought to be responsible for the re-enforcing properties of drugs of abuse. Khat may also act on central serotonergic and peripheral adrenergic neurotransmitter systems.
6. Risks to physical health
6.1 There is evidence that chewing khat is a risk factor for the development of oral cancers. In pre-clinical and clinical studies, chewing khat leads to macroscopic and microscopic pre-cancerous changes in the buccal mucosa.
6.2 Khat has significant sympathomimetic properties. Chewing khat leads to an increase in blood pressure and may precipitate myocardial infarction. It is difficult to tease out the specific risk factor of khat for heart disease as most users also smoke tobacco during a khat session.
6.3 There is some evidence that khat affects the reproductive health of both sexes. In women it may be associated with delivery of low birth weight babies (as with smoking cigarettes), although the evidence for this is not strong. Cathine is excreted in breast milk although the impact of this is unknown.
6.4 In men there is some evidence that using khat is associated with lower sperm
motility and sperm count. Some studies report an increase in libido when using khat and others have found decreased libido with chronic use of khat.
6.5 Residual pesticide, dimethoate, has been found on khat leaves produced in Yemen. There is no published data on khat produced in other countries. Chronic dimethoate poisoning can lead to weakness, fatigue, slurred speech and lack of co-ordination.
6.6 Khat administered chronically to animals causes an increase in liver transaminases and signs of chronic hepatic inflammation. There are no studies investigating the effects of khat on the hepatic system in humans.
7. Risk of addiction and to psychiatric health
7.1 There is evidence that khat may cause the release of dopamine in the brain. Release of this neurotransmitter is thought to be important in the development of dependency on drugs of abuse.
7.2 Dependency on a drug is defined as a syndrome of symptoms related to the desire to use a drug, the control over drug use, tolerance of drug effects, withdrawal symptoms, harms from drug use and neglect of other activities of life.
7.3 There is evidence that some individuals use khat in a dependent way. However, for the majority of users this does not appear to be the case. Animals can be made dependent on khat and they will self-administer the drug in a dependent way.
7.4 There are case reports of people developing psychosis after use of khat. Unfortunately, as yet, there are few controlled studies investigating the possibility of a causal link between khat use and psychosis. Evidence points to social stress such as the effects of war on the Somali population mixed with misuse of khat can increase the likelihood of the development of psychotic symptoms.
7.5 As yet there is insufficient evidence to make a definitive statement about the risks of developing psychosis after using khat. However, in countries where khat use is widespread there is no corresponding elevation in prevalence of psychotic disorders. This suggests that khat is not a causal factor for the development of psychosis.
7.6 In common with other stimulants, users of khat often report feeling low in mood after a khat using session. However, there is no evidence that khat use is a risk factor for developing depression.
8. Risk to society
8.1 The partners of khat users often complain that their partners’ khat use is responsible for lack of input into family life, for family arguments, and leads to excessive expenditure of the family budget. It is cited as a reason for family breakdown by spouses, and there is a fear that men using excessively (as heads of the family unit) lead to isolation for their spouses and children. It is impossible to say if khat use is the cause of or the scapegoat for family disharmony.
8.2 Khat users appear to have very low levels of other drug or alcohol use. There is no evidence that khat use is a gateway to the use of other stimulant drugs, although there is however, high associated tobacco use.
8.3 Khat does not lead to acquisitive crime in the way that is evident with crack or heroin use. This may be due to its low cost and its lower re-enforcing properties.
8.4 There is evidence that administering khat to rats causes an increase in aggressive behaviour. There is only anecdotal evidence of the same response in humans.
8.5 There are several case reports of individuals using khat and driving. Khat is likely to reduce attention span whilst driving, however co-ordination appears to be minimally affected.
8.6 The khat industry is a legitimate business. There is no indication of organised criminals or terrorists being involved in the UK trade, perhaps because of its legality. However, since the USA made khat illegal there is some evidence of organised criminals becoming involved in its shipment to the USA.
9. Discussion
9.1 Existing evidence suggests that khat use is widespread in the UK among immigrant communities from the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. There is no evidence of its use by the wider community.
9.2 Khat is a much less potent stimulant than other commonly used drugs such as amphetamine or cocaine. However some individuals use it in a dependent manner.
9.3 Khat use is a risk factor for oral cancers and possibly for myocardial infarction. Residual pesticides on the leaves of khat represent a health risk.
9.4 There is some evidence of an association with chronic khat use and development of psychological symptoms. However, as yet there is no proven causal association.
The full report can be accessed here.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Ban on asylum seekers taking council homes
Saturday October 9,2010
By Nathan Rao
A CITY council yesterday warned it would stop offering housing to asylum seekers to keep resources for locals.
Birmingham Council will not renew an agreement with the UK Border Agency when a five-year contract to accommodate asylum seekers ends next June, it emerged.
Councillor John Lines, cabinet member for housing, said: “Over the last year we have seen a sharp increase in the number of homeless people in Birmingham and we must help the citizens of this city first.
“With a long waiting list for homes, we really need all our properties for our people in these difficult economic times.”
He said the withdrawal of the contract would affect up to 190 homes and a similar number of families in Britain’s second-largest city.
Birmingham is controlled by a coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The announcement comes as the coalition Government plans sharp cuts to funding for municipal authorities.
Mr Lines denied the move had anything to do with cost saving and predicted other cities would follow suit.
He estimated 7,500 homeless people would have applied for long-term housing in Birmingham by the end of this year and said their interests should come ahead of asylum seekers.
The existing contract was about “putting hundreds of homeless people in bed and breakfast while asylum seekers are being given homes”.
He said: “Birmingham will continue to meet our obligation to help the Government and we will work with the UK Border Agency to help them find alternative services, possibly in the private sector, so that they can meet their objectives following the end of our contract with them.”
Last month Birmingham wrote to just under 26,000 public-sector employees warning that their jobs were at risk. As in other councils across Britain, the city is scrutinising every public service, from street lighting to nurseries for children, to help manage its falling budget.
David Cameron branded the benefit system “completely out of control” after a Somali family of asylum seekers were housed in a £2.1million mansion costing £8,000 a month.
The Prime Minister admitted being “outraged” at the lavish handouts to Abdi and Sayruq Nur and their seven children, who moved into a property in fashionable Kensington, west London, after complaining about living in a “poorer” area. Mr Cameron told MPs the case was a vindication of a strict new £400 weekly limit on housing benefit claims.
He said the idea that a family could claim £2,000 a week for their house was “an outrage for people who work every day, pay their taxes and try and do the right thing for their family”.
By Nathan Rao
A CITY council yesterday warned it would stop offering housing to asylum seekers to keep resources for locals.
Birmingham Council will not renew an agreement with the UK Border Agency when a five-year contract to accommodate asylum seekers ends next June, it emerged.
Councillor John Lines, cabinet member for housing, said: “Over the last year we have seen a sharp increase in the number of homeless people in Birmingham and we must help the citizens of this city first.
“With a long waiting list for homes, we really need all our properties for our people in these difficult economic times.”
He said the withdrawal of the contract would affect up to 190 homes and a similar number of families in Britain’s second-largest city.
Birmingham is controlled by a coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The announcement comes as the coalition Government plans sharp cuts to funding for municipal authorities.
Mr Lines denied the move had anything to do with cost saving and predicted other cities would follow suit.
He estimated 7,500 homeless people would have applied for long-term housing in Birmingham by the end of this year and said their interests should come ahead of asylum seekers.
The existing contract was about “putting hundreds of homeless people in bed and breakfast while asylum seekers are being given homes”.
He said: “Birmingham will continue to meet our obligation to help the Government and we will work with the UK Border Agency to help them find alternative services, possibly in the private sector, so that they can meet their objectives following the end of our contract with them.”
Last month Birmingham wrote to just under 26,000 public-sector employees warning that their jobs were at risk. As in other councils across Britain, the city is scrutinising every public service, from street lighting to nurseries for children, to help manage its falling budget.
David Cameron branded the benefit system “completely out of control” after a Somali family of asylum seekers were housed in a £2.1million mansion costing £8,000 a month.
The Prime Minister admitted being “outraged” at the lavish handouts to Abdi and Sayruq Nur and their seven children, who moved into a property in fashionable Kensington, west London, after complaining about living in a “poorer” area. Mr Cameron told MPs the case was a vindication of a strict new £400 weekly limit on housing benefit claims.
He said the idea that a family could claim £2,000 a week for their house was “an outrage for people who work every day, pay their taxes and try and do the right thing for their family”.
Putney suicide woman had warned police about stalker
A woman who gassed herself in a suspected chemical double suicide had repeatedly warned police and officials that she was being harassed by an ex-boyfriend for two years.
By By Andy Bloxham and Richard Edwards
Published: 8:00PM BST 01 Oct 2010
The Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday launched an inquiry after it emerged police and other agencies had many calls and complaints from the young woman, who neighbours said appeared “frightened”, before she is thought to have taken her own life.
The investigation will determine whether she was given proper support by officers before she locked herself in her flat in Putney with a friend, and inhaled toxic gases she is thought to have sourced on the internet.
Meanwhile, Sky News reported that the two women were sex workers, citing unidentified sources.
It is understood the woman, who has not been identified and is described as a black Somali aged about 28, first contacted police up to two years ago to complain of harrasment. She moved to a flat run by a women's charity in Putney, south west London, but was believed to have been in "recent" contact with police again speaking of her fears.
Catherine McGrath, a retired typist whose flat overlooks the property, which is run by a charity for single women, said the victim had moved in within the last few months.
"She was a very quiet and private girl. She always seemed very scared and had her windows shut and curtains closed,” she said.
"I thought I should try and talk to her, but she was always very scared, almost frightened of something."
"She looked like she had something to be afraid of. She didn't look very well.”
Another neighbour said she had fixed fabric over the windows which would permanently shield the flat from passers-by on the first day she moved in.
The bodies of the two women were found at the Putney flat on Thursday.
The other woman who died in the suspected pact is said to be a white woman of a similar age.
Investigators believe they gassed themselves after sealing doors and windows with tape.
Noises described as "like somebody doing DIY, drilling and banging" were reported coming from the flat the night before the deaths were discovered.
The block where the women died is owned by Women's Pioneer Housing, a not-for-profit organisation that provides affordable one-bedroom and bedsit properties for single women..
One neighbour said the two women were regularly seen together.
Jordan McGrath, 17, who lives opposite the flat, said the visitor seemed to be the Somalian woman's only friend.
He said: "She was very quiet.
"The one friend she was always with, that's who she died with. They were always together, and I think they have known each other for a while.
"I did hear some banging on the night that they died but I didn't think much of it because the neighbour beneath me is always making noise.
"She was very timid and shy. She never came out.
"She wasn't working that I know of because I would have seen her coming and going."
Senior police officers are also concerned that chemical suicides could become a trend.
Suicides using gas are rare in the UK but have become much more common in Japan and the US.
Internet sites on which troubled individuals can discuss and even encourage suicide have become prominent in recent months and widely criticised.
It emerged yesterday that London Ambulance Service staff have been given leaflets informing them of chemical suicide cases.
The document says the method originated in Japan and victims "have often sought information on how to do this from the internet".
The note, dated in early September advises paramedics on the signs of such an incident and gives instructions on how to manage the situation.
The number of suicides by the chemical poisoning totalled more than 1,000 last year in Japan, which has one of the world’s worst suicide rates. There have also been a wave of around 500 suicides in America in recent years
Last week the bodies of Joanne Lee, 34, of Essex, and Stephen Lumb, 35, of West Yorkshire, were found in a car in Braintree, Essex.
Police feared the incident could be one of the first chemical suicides of its type after they released a deadly gas and left warning posters.
The pair met on a suicide chatroom, sparking condemnation of sites that often encourage vulnerable people to take their lives and advise on how to do so.
News of the Putney deaths was posted on one suicide site yesterday, provoking a user to comment: "Good for them."
The bodies were removed at around 4pm yesterday after specialist fire and police teams neutralised the chemicals and made the area safe.
By By Andy Bloxham and Richard Edwards
Published: 8:00PM BST 01 Oct 2010
The Independent Police Complaints Commission yesterday launched an inquiry after it emerged police and other agencies had many calls and complaints from the young woman, who neighbours said appeared “frightened”, before she is thought to have taken her own life.
The investigation will determine whether she was given proper support by officers before she locked herself in her flat in Putney with a friend, and inhaled toxic gases she is thought to have sourced on the internet.
Meanwhile, Sky News reported that the two women were sex workers, citing unidentified sources.
It is understood the woman, who has not been identified and is described as a black Somali aged about 28, first contacted police up to two years ago to complain of harrasment. She moved to a flat run by a women's charity in Putney, south west London, but was believed to have been in "recent" contact with police again speaking of her fears.
Catherine McGrath, a retired typist whose flat overlooks the property, which is run by a charity for single women, said the victim had moved in within the last few months.
"She was a very quiet and private girl. She always seemed very scared and had her windows shut and curtains closed,” she said.
"I thought I should try and talk to her, but she was always very scared, almost frightened of something."
"She looked like she had something to be afraid of. She didn't look very well.”
Another neighbour said she had fixed fabric over the windows which would permanently shield the flat from passers-by on the first day she moved in.
The bodies of the two women were found at the Putney flat on Thursday.
The other woman who died in the suspected pact is said to be a white woman of a similar age.
Investigators believe they gassed themselves after sealing doors and windows with tape.
Noises described as "like somebody doing DIY, drilling and banging" were reported coming from the flat the night before the deaths were discovered.
The block where the women died is owned by Women's Pioneer Housing, a not-for-profit organisation that provides affordable one-bedroom and bedsit properties for single women..
One neighbour said the two women were regularly seen together.
Jordan McGrath, 17, who lives opposite the flat, said the visitor seemed to be the Somalian woman's only friend.
He said: "She was very quiet.
"The one friend she was always with, that's who she died with. They were always together, and I think they have known each other for a while.
"I did hear some banging on the night that they died but I didn't think much of it because the neighbour beneath me is always making noise.
"She was very timid and shy. She never came out.
"She wasn't working that I know of because I would have seen her coming and going."
Senior police officers are also concerned that chemical suicides could become a trend.
Suicides using gas are rare in the UK but have become much more common in Japan and the US.
Internet sites on which troubled individuals can discuss and even encourage suicide have become prominent in recent months and widely criticised.
It emerged yesterday that London Ambulance Service staff have been given leaflets informing them of chemical suicide cases.
The document says the method originated in Japan and victims "have often sought information on how to do this from the internet".
The note, dated in early September advises paramedics on the signs of such an incident and gives instructions on how to manage the situation.
The number of suicides by the chemical poisoning totalled more than 1,000 last year in Japan, which has one of the world’s worst suicide rates. There have also been a wave of around 500 suicides in America in recent years
Last week the bodies of Joanne Lee, 34, of Essex, and Stephen Lumb, 35, of West Yorkshire, were found in a car in Braintree, Essex.
Police feared the incident could be one of the first chemical suicides of its type after they released a deadly gas and left warning posters.
The pair met on a suicide chatroom, sparking condemnation of sites that often encourage vulnerable people to take their lives and advise on how to do so.
News of the Putney deaths was posted on one suicide site yesterday, provoking a user to comment: "Good for them."
The bodies were removed at around 4pm yesterday after specialist fire and police teams neutralised the chemicals and made the area safe.
Samaritans chief issues warning after suspected copycat suicides
Robert Booth and Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk, Friday 1 October 2010 22.19 BST
Media coverage of deaths is feared to have prompted women to kill themselves
The chief executive of the Samaritans said today she was "very alarmed" about a suspected copycat double suicide yesterday that may have been prompted by news of a similar incident last week.
Catherine Johnstone gave "a strong warning" about the media coverage of suicides after police were called to a flat in Putney, south-west London, where two young women were found dead, apparently from chemical poisoning.
Ten days earlier it was widely reported that a man and a woman were found dead in a car in Braintree, Essex, having killed themselves using a similar method. Police were last night treating the latest deaths as unexplained but not suspicious.
One of the women, thought to have been Somali and in her late 20s, had moved into the block of women's social housing about five months ago.
Neighbours said she was quiet and private. "She always seemed very scared and had her windows shut and curtains closed," said retired typist Catherine McGrath, whose home overlooks the third-floor flat. It was sealed off all day today with the bodies still inside.
Men in protective chemical suits came and went throughout the day and could be seen taking photographs of the scene.
Nicola Peckett, head of communications at the Samaritans, said: "We knew this was the danger, which is why we tried to clamp down with the media about the reporting."
Johnstone said the media could play a harmful role in passing on information about suicide. "Reporting can act as a catalyst in bringing the method of suicide to the forefront of vulnerable people's minds, which can result in an increase in a particular method of suicide," she said.
A spokeswoman for the Met police said the possibility that the women accessed suicide chatrooms was being explored. There is concern among counsellors at the role of largely unregulated sites in providing vulnerable people with advice on suicide. It is illegal in the UK to encourage or assist anyone to kill themselves.
Samaritans said it was working with Google and Facebook to ensure people on suicide forums had access to the Samaritans.
"One of the major factors in suicide is having knowledge and access to methods," said Paul Kelly, a trustee at suicide prevention charity Papyrus. "People who are young and vulnerable, they are at a very impressionable stage of their lives." The case was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission as of one of the women had been in contact with police before she died.
The Samaritans can be contacted on
0845 7909090
Media coverage of deaths is feared to have prompted women to kill themselves
The chief executive of the Samaritans said today she was "very alarmed" about a suspected copycat double suicide yesterday that may have been prompted by news of a similar incident last week.
Catherine Johnstone gave "a strong warning" about the media coverage of suicides after police were called to a flat in Putney, south-west London, where two young women were found dead, apparently from chemical poisoning.
Ten days earlier it was widely reported that a man and a woman were found dead in a car in Braintree, Essex, having killed themselves using a similar method. Police were last night treating the latest deaths as unexplained but not suspicious.
One of the women, thought to have been Somali and in her late 20s, had moved into the block of women's social housing about five months ago.
Neighbours said she was quiet and private. "She always seemed very scared and had her windows shut and curtains closed," said retired typist Catherine McGrath, whose home overlooks the third-floor flat. It was sealed off all day today with the bodies still inside.
Men in protective chemical suits came and went throughout the day and could be seen taking photographs of the scene.
Nicola Peckett, head of communications at the Samaritans, said: "We knew this was the danger, which is why we tried to clamp down with the media about the reporting."
Johnstone said the media could play a harmful role in passing on information about suicide. "Reporting can act as a catalyst in bringing the method of suicide to the forefront of vulnerable people's minds, which can result in an increase in a particular method of suicide," she said.
A spokeswoman for the Met police said the possibility that the women accessed suicide chatrooms was being explored. There is concern among counsellors at the role of largely unregulated sites in providing vulnerable people with advice on suicide. It is illegal in the UK to encourage or assist anyone to kill themselves.
Samaritans said it was working with Google and Facebook to ensure people on suicide forums had access to the Samaritans.
"One of the major factors in suicide is having knowledge and access to methods," said Paul Kelly, a trustee at suicide prevention charity Papyrus. "People who are young and vulnerable, they are at a very impressionable stage of their lives." The case was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission as of one of the women had been in contact with police before she died.
The Samaritans can be contacted on
0845 7909090
Saturday, 9 October 2010
The Afgooye corridor: world capital of internally displaced people
The Afgooye corridor is a little-known area outside the capital of Somalia that houses the largest concentration of internally displaced people on Earth.
Now and then: satellite images of the Afgooye corridor taken in 2010 (left) and 2007 (right) highlight an increased population density. Photographs: ©DigitalGlobe 2010, provided under EC/ESA GSC-DA/ (left); ©DigitalGlobe 2007, provided under AAAS
The Afgooye corridor should be a place of infamy. But the world's largest concentration of internally displaced people is located just outside the war-torn Somali capital of Mogadishu. It is an area the world has hardly heard about.
Journalists don't go to the corridor. International aid agencies can barely reach it. The consequence is that stories of the hundreds of thousands living there are rarely told. If ever.
Once a rural area, the Afgooye corridor is now the third largest urban area in Somalia after Mogadishu and Hargeisa in Somaliland. It is the country's capital of the displaced.
Last year, when I wanted to write about conditions in the Afgooye corridor it was necessary to travel to camps in the Somaliland cities of Burao and Hargeisa to find people who had recently escaped on the trucks that ferry those hoping to escape to Galkayo in Puntland. The journey takes months for some, and can cost $300 for a family. Few have that kind of money.
They told stories of battles fought between Amisom, the African Union peacekeeping force, and the Islamist militia fighters of the Shabab inside the sprawling camps that line the road for miles.
They described the abuses of the Shabab – beatings, theft and murder – and the hunger and insanitary conditions. The Afgooye corridor's residents struggle for food and other basic necessities in a place beyond the reach of the aid agencies.
What assistance does get through is delivered by local partners but, according to the UN, the amounts are tiny in comparison with the needs. The result is that many residents are forced to risk walking into Mogadishu every day in search of a daily living.
Now, in an extraordinary project, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has used satellite imaging both to estimate how many people are living there, and to give the corridor a concrete reality.
The images of the camps have led the UN's refugee agency to estimate that the number of people living in the Afgooye Corridor is a staggering 410,000. Previous estimates, in September 2009, had put the number at 366,000.
In the last three years, since the escalation of the conflict in south central Somalia, the Afgooye corridor has grown from a few dwellings along the road between Mogadishu and the nearby town from which it takes its name, to a place of 91,397 temporary shelters and 15,495 permanent dwellings. Comparison of satellite images has revealed that substantial new construction of dwellings is continuing as people flee the fighting in the capital.
To determine the population size, UNHCR measured the habitable surface areas of every dwelling and applied different population densities to permanent and temporary structures, based on population densities from comparable areas in Somalia.
In addition to some 410,000 displaced people in Afgooye, it also estimated that there are 55,000 people in Dayniile (to the north of Mogadishu), 15,200 in the Bal'cad corridor (the northern periphery of Mogadishu City) and 7,260 in Kax Shiiqaal (the city's western periphery). The displaced population in Mogadishu itself is estimated to be around 3720,000.
The satellite images have also mapped how the settlement of the Afgooye corridor has changed over the last three years. As the population has increased, there has been a rapid urbanisation of the area, with entire new towns replacing the tens of thousands of makeshift shelters composed of cloth and fabric.
That building tells its own depressing story, reflecting how, for those living there, hopes of a safe return to the capital have faded
MI5 head warns of serious risk of UK terrorist attack
By Gordon Corera
Security correspondent, BBC News
The UK faces a continuing serious risk of a lethal terrorist attack taking place, the head of MI5 has warned.
Jonathan Evans raised concerns over the number of soon-to-be-freed inmates who are "committed extremists and likely to return to terrorist activities".
He also said Somalia and Yemen were important concerns for MI5, as a source of serious plots against the UK.
And, he said, the security service had not expected dissident republicanism to grow as it had in Northern Ireland.
Mr Evans, who made the rare public remarks to the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals in London, said dealing with international terrorism remained the main focus of MI5's efforts.
"Counter-terrorist capabilities have improved in recent years but there remains a serious risk of a lethal attack taking place. I see no reason to believe that the position will significantly improve in the immediate future," he said.
Every month, hundreds of new leads come into MI5 headquarters at Thames House from various sources, with only sufficient resources to investigate those that appeared to be high priority, Mr Evans said.
"At any one time we have a handful of investigations that we believe involve the real possibility of a terrorist attack being planned against the UK," he said.
One concern is that a number of individuals, convicted of offences in the years after the 9/11 attacks, are now coming out of prison having served their terms.
"We know that some of these prisoners are still committed extremists who are likely to return to their terrorist activities," Mr Evans said, adding that they would be added to the cases that needed to be monitored.
He said another change in recent years was the source of the most serious plots.
In previous years, officials have said that 75% of priority plots had links to Pakistan. That figure has now dropped to 50%.
This was partly because of pressure on al-Qaeda leadership operating in Pakistan's tribal areas, but it was also a sign of a diversifying threat, he said.
Mr Evans said in Somalia there were a "significant number of UK residents training in Al Shabaab camps" to fight in the country.
"I am concerned that it is only a matter of time before we see terrorism on our streets inspired by those who are today fighting alongside Al Shabaab," he warned.
'Nasty disappointment'
He said Yemen was the other main country of concern.
He said the involvement of the radical preacher Anwar Al Awlaqi in a succession of plots - and the influence of his message in the UK - had raised concerns that his adherents, possibly lone individuals, would respond by mounting attacks.
There had been a surge in Yemen-related casework this year, he said.
It is widely believed that the raising of the UK terror threat level to "severe" at the start of 2010 was largely related to intelligence surrounding Yemen.
Mr Evans admitted that when MI5 assumed the lead responsibility for intelligence in Northern Ireland in October 2007, its "working assumption" was that the residual threat from terrorism was low, and likely to go down.
Instead the opposite has happened. Mr Evans described a "persistent rise in terrorist activity and ambition", with signs of increasing co-ordination and co-operation between disparate groups in recent months.
This year there had been more than 30 attacks or attempted attacks by dissident republicans on security targets, compared with just over 20 for the whole of last year, he said.
Mr Evans also warned that while the campaign by dissident republicans was currently focused on Northern Ireland, MI5 "cannot exclude the possibility" that it might spread to the mainland.
Mr Evans also warned against a "zero tolerance" attitude to the terrorist risk, which he said was spreading.
"In recent years we appear increasingly to have imported from the American media the assumption that terrorism is 100% preventable and any incident that is not prevented is seen as a culpable government failure.
"This is a nonsensical way to consider terrorist risk and only plays into the hands of the terrorists themselves. Risk can be managed and reduced but it cannot realistically be abolished and if we delude ourselves that it can we are setting ourselves up for a nasty disappointment," he said
Security correspondent, BBC News
The UK faces a continuing serious risk of a lethal terrorist attack taking place, the head of MI5 has warned.
Jonathan Evans raised concerns over the number of soon-to-be-freed inmates who are "committed extremists and likely to return to terrorist activities".
He also said Somalia and Yemen were important concerns for MI5, as a source of serious plots against the UK.
And, he said, the security service had not expected dissident republicanism to grow as it had in Northern Ireland.
Mr Evans, who made the rare public remarks to the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals in London, said dealing with international terrorism remained the main focus of MI5's efforts.
"Counter-terrorist capabilities have improved in recent years but there remains a serious risk of a lethal attack taking place. I see no reason to believe that the position will significantly improve in the immediate future," he said.
Every month, hundreds of new leads come into MI5 headquarters at Thames House from various sources, with only sufficient resources to investigate those that appeared to be high priority, Mr Evans said.
"At any one time we have a handful of investigations that we believe involve the real possibility of a terrorist attack being planned against the UK," he said.
One concern is that a number of individuals, convicted of offences in the years after the 9/11 attacks, are now coming out of prison having served their terms.
"We know that some of these prisoners are still committed extremists who are likely to return to their terrorist activities," Mr Evans said, adding that they would be added to the cases that needed to be monitored.
He said another change in recent years was the source of the most serious plots.
In previous years, officials have said that 75% of priority plots had links to Pakistan. That figure has now dropped to 50%.
This was partly because of pressure on al-Qaeda leadership operating in Pakistan's tribal areas, but it was also a sign of a diversifying threat, he said.
Mr Evans said in Somalia there were a "significant number of UK residents training in Al Shabaab camps" to fight in the country.
"I am concerned that it is only a matter of time before we see terrorism on our streets inspired by those who are today fighting alongside Al Shabaab," he warned.
'Nasty disappointment'
He said Yemen was the other main country of concern.
He said the involvement of the radical preacher Anwar Al Awlaqi in a succession of plots - and the influence of his message in the UK - had raised concerns that his adherents, possibly lone individuals, would respond by mounting attacks.
There had been a surge in Yemen-related casework this year, he said.
It is widely believed that the raising of the UK terror threat level to "severe" at the start of 2010 was largely related to intelligence surrounding Yemen.
Mr Evans admitted that when MI5 assumed the lead responsibility for intelligence in Northern Ireland in October 2007, its "working assumption" was that the residual threat from terrorism was low, and likely to go down.
Instead the opposite has happened. Mr Evans described a "persistent rise in terrorist activity and ambition", with signs of increasing co-ordination and co-operation between disparate groups in recent months.
This year there had been more than 30 attacks or attempted attacks by dissident republicans on security targets, compared with just over 20 for the whole of last year, he said.
Mr Evans also warned that while the campaign by dissident republicans was currently focused on Northern Ireland, MI5 "cannot exclude the possibility" that it might spread to the mainland.
Mr Evans also warned against a "zero tolerance" attitude to the terrorist risk, which he said was spreading.
"In recent years we appear increasingly to have imported from the American media the assumption that terrorism is 100% preventable and any incident that is not prevented is seen as a culpable government failure.
"This is a nonsensical way to consider terrorist risk and only plays into the hands of the terrorists themselves. Risk can be managed and reduced but it cannot realistically be abolished and if we delude ourselves that it can we are setting ourselves up for a nasty disappointment," he said