A family has been torn apart for the past 11 months because of the UKVI / Home Office's refusal to abide by a judge's decision that his mum should be granted a visa. A 3 year-old British boy has been shared between his mum in China and his dad in the UK. This is having a detrimental effect on him, he is confused and upset and needs a stable family unit, which was supported by the tribunal judge, who was also fully satisfied that this applicant meets all of the UK Visas and Immigrations requirements for a spouse's visa with a right to a family life in the UK. The Home Office claims that the appeal was abandoned when Mary returned to China whilst the appeal was pending, however, the tribunal permitted the hearing to proceed after Mary submitted a request to them for her husband to represent her. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-38012751?SThisFB http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/hswallingfordnews/14922259.Wallingford_family_missing_mum_who_is_stuck_in_China/ http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2016-11/28/content_27508080.htm

There have been debates about the proposed pipeline to transport oil across America for over 2 years. The route chosen appears to be in breach of several treaties between the Government of America and first nation tribes concerning the preservation of sacred land and burial sites; investigation by the the Army Corps of Engineers, charged with ensuring the safety and sustainability of any use of public lands, has been cursory and incomplete. A small group of First Nation people, with support from across the world, are trying to stop the pipeline, not only because of the threat to sacred land but also because of the threat to drinking water. There is significant evidence that their human rights have been breached and that actions by local law officers have been illegal and disproportionate. Full and fair reporting by the BBC would facilitate a wider debate on the important balance between the demands of corporate monopolies and social and environmental protection.

Local Councils decide how many unaccompanied minors they will take in their area; that means that at a local level we can make a real difference for refugees and asylum seekers. THIS FRIDAY, 25th November 2016, the leaders of all the Local Authorities in Scotland will meet at COSLA, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, in Edinburgh. The transfer protocol for Unaccompanied Minors will be discussed. COSLA is “your local voice, nationally”. We want our local councils and COSLA to take courage from the fact that we support them welcoming refugees and asylum seekers to the area where we live. They need to hear from us this week. We hope you will encourage individuals to write directly to their local councillors as part of the campaign to Protect Refugee Children here: https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/campaigning/protect-refugee-children The charity “Help Refugees” highlight concerns for the approx. 1000 vulnerable children and young people in accommodation centres across France who still have no information about what process lies in front of them. This uncertainty can cause children to take matters into their own hands, abscond and put themselves in danger. The campaign group Liberty remind us that child refugees endure violence and separation from family members; lose access to education, healthcare, the support of their communities and often face bleak and uncertain futures. Children seeking sanctuary across Europe face routine exploitation and abuse. Many have already disappeared into the hands of traffickers. Local and central government must work together to ensure the Dubs scheme fulfils its potential as a lifeline for some of Europe’s most vulnerable children. We recognise that there are young people in the UK who are homeless or about to become homeless. We do not believe it is a choice between these vulnerable groups, but rather that we protect them both. Could you become a foster carer? You can register your interest here: http://www.homeforgood.org.uk/what-we-do/responding-refugee-crisis You can also use this link to write to your local councilors, MPs and MSPs: https://www.writetothem.com

As per the UN Findings, Grave Violations is serious and it appears Ministers / MPs think they can merely dismiss. Large numbers of people have been seriously affected by policies and measures, cuts and 'austerity'. Lives have been lost and many more are extremely suffering, distressed at how they will keep a roof over head or put food on the table and so on. It has also been observed that there is a great unfairness in that Corporations and the rich have tax cuts, banks were previously bailed out, MPs claim expenses for second homes and there is a trait of 'Government mates' deals by Conservative Government. It is also observed in such matters that management consultants are employed unnecessarily, that charge the public purse excessive amounts for template reports on how councils can make cuts - yet this was exposed recently by BBC 2 under 'Who's Spending Britain's Billions'. Plus there are unknown expenditures on systems with pretend aim to save monies, that cost more (on the face of things). What this reflects is the constant attacks on the poor or sick and disabled or low income families should have been avoided. Had the focus been on retrieving unpaid taxes by tax 'dodgers' and we believe HMRC had stated £34 Billion uncollected tax as a total, you can see there was a great imbalance when discriminating with those policies that the UN deems to have breached Human Rights and Discriminated against protected groups.

We the undersigned call on the Mayor of London to support us in the creation of a UK HIV/AIDS Memorial. HIV/AIDS disproportionally affected gay men but also new African communities; people with haemophilia; prisoners and injecting drug users. It influenced the whole nation by forcing us to confront deep rooted prejudices and ask questions about equality, difference, religion, morality and identity which hit at the very core of our values as a people and as a nation. There is currently no memorial to those who died in London in contrast to most other major cities affected including Amsterdam, Auckland, Barcelona, Berlin, Brighton, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Dublin, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kiev, LA, Madrid, Manchester, Melbourne, Montreal, Moscow, Munich, NYC, Paris, San Francisco, San Salvador, Sydney, Toronto, Vienna and Zurich. We want the Mayor of London to support our campaign for a national memorial in the city, by meeting with campaigners and helping in practical ways to find a location, funding and wider support. Why Now? 1) 2017 is the 50th Anniversary of the passing of the Sexual Offences Act 1967 which partly decriminalised sexual acts between two men in private and aged over 21. 2) 2016 is the 20th anniversary since the widespread use of the life-saving anti-retroviral therapy that arrested the number of deaths and literally, allowed for a new awakening. 3) New communities are examining and documenting their unique histories for future generations to make more sense of their own lives and to make secure as well as more grounded, their identities and narratives. The National AIDS Memorial in London aims: • To pay tribute to the men, women and children who died in the UK • To remember the struggles of those living with HIV as well as those who took on the challenge to treat, support and campaign for those who were affected by AIDS. • To acknowledge an almost forgotten period in British history • To form a linear historical path between the past, the present and the future for all the communities in the UK who bore the brunt of the epidemic. • To remember those worldwide who perished and who continue to live with HIV, the majority of whom still cannot access treatment This campaign is being led by GMFA (Gay Men Fighting AIDS), in conjunction with the UK HIV sector. @AidsMemoryUK; #AidsMemoryUK

We miss our family! Our children miss their grandparents! And we're not the only ones... My family and I are British citizens but my husband originates from a non-EU country where his immediate family (mum, dad and sister) still live. We have two young children and would like for them to see their grandparents at least once a year as we are a close family unit. As non-EU and non-Commonwealth citizens they need to apply for a visa to come to the UK - not to live, but to visit us for a short holiday. This is something that many people from diverse countries have to do each time they want to see their family in the UK. The problem is that our visa application system is complex and expensive to use and authorisation or denial of a visa seems often to be an arbitrary decision, based on tenuous facts. If a visa is not granted the fee is non-refundable, the paperwork is not returned to the applicant and there is no right of appeal. Visas are being denied left, right and centre to immediate family members of British citizens and families are being left to suffer, far from each other. In fact British citizens are being penalised more than their European counterparts, as a European resident living in Britain can bring their extended families over for a visit, any time they like. We are not saying this shouldn't happen, but that British nationals should also be allowed to bring their families over for a visit, without recourse to punishing visa systems that deny even immediate family members entry to the UK, even for a short stay, even when being hosted by their own family and even when they demonstrate strong finances to support themselves. These are people who cannot access benefits or work whilst here, who cannot access NHS services and who contribute to the economy through tourism - they pose no risk and should not form part of any "immigration statistics" for they are not immigrants, but visitors, or tourists. We feel it is unfair and an infringement of our human rights to be denied access to our family - my husbands mother and father - and we call on Amber Rudd to reconsider the strict visa laws in these cases, and allow immediate family members to secure a visit visa with ease and transparency, when they can demonstrate that they are being supported by a resident British national. As British citizens, taxpayers and passport holders, with children born here, with no criminal convictions we believe this is a basic right we should have, it should not be a privilege of a few lucky ones. Please help us to take this campaign further by signing our petition! Thank you.

People who are desperate to start a family are being given the choice of either going without or having to spend their life savings (or going into serious debt) to make their dreams come true. When unfit parents are allowed to produce child after child supported by the government, people who would make great parents aren't even given a chance.

Ability Bow is the only place in inner London that provides long term rehabilitation to help people who have a disability, an injury or a long-term health condition. For many it is be a life-changing experience. There are thousands of people that Ability Bow has helped over the last 10 years. Margaret is a stroke survivor who regained near full use of her body after doctors wrote her off. Albert had a spine broken in two places and learned to walk again. There are hundreds of stories like these here. We are asking for the assistance of a government partner to safeguard the future of this vital service. I do not know where I would be without this place. I started this campaign to raise awareness and make sure that people get the help they need to improve their lives.

Publication of photos and personal details can risk the security of unaccompanied young people, who are known to be at a high risk of human trafficking and may be exposed to hate crime. The language used by The Sun, the Daily Star, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express to describe these young people arriving from the 'jungle' camp in Calais is incendiary and inhumane. The deliberate questioning of age, without due care to safety or lawful processes, has the very real potential to expose individuals to abuse, racism and hatred whilst in the UK. International law makes it clear that anyone under the age of 18 is a child. Unaccompanied children frequently have no documents to prove their age. Some don’t even know their own chronological age. Others have had their identities faked by human traffickers. There is a duty on the UK to give those in such situations the ‘benefit of the doubt’ where there is reason to believe they may be a child. The current approach of 'trial by media' undermines these young people's right to fair and impartial assessments of their individual circumstances. It ignores well-established, legal processes that are designed to protect those most in need and undermines the validity of the laws to protect children and refugees. ECPAT UK is a leading children’s rights organisation campaigning to prevent child trafficking, transnational child abuse and child exploitation for the past 20 years. To complement our research, policy and campaigning activity, we run peer support groups for child victims of trafficking and deliver training to a broad range of professionals. For more info about our charity, visit: www.ecpat.org.uk.

Rushcliffe Borough Council have proposed plans to fine homeless people £100 under the 2014 "Public Space Protection Order". Rushcliffe Borough Council believe that the rough sleepers cause a "nuisance" to those who live locally. Fines can be increased to £1000 following non-payment of the original fine. The idea of fining those who already have so little that they are forced to sleep out in the cold is a cruel and heartless act. This is attacking vulnerable persons and does not aid in resolving the homeless issues. Other campaigns have successfully halted other councils from imposing similar fines. More info here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/37693295?client=ms-android-htc-rev

In 2010, the US government passed the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) obliging US citizens, regardless of dual citizenships and even though they may not have lived in the US since childhood, to self-report their non-US assets and to pay US tax on foreign income if the foreign tax should be less than US tax. For example, if such persons sell their home, then they are liable for American capital gains tax on the sale as the UK levies no such tax. FATCA obliges all non-US financial institutions to search through their customer databases to identify those customers suspected of being US citizens and to disclose the account holders' names, addresses, and the transactions of most types of account. It requires foreign financial institutions to require all foreign account holders (not just US citizens) to certify their foreign status. In 2014, The Economist called FATCA's "extraterritoriality stunning even by Washington's standards." FATCA potentially affects 173,470 people born in the US by chance but many of whom left the country as small children and have since been resident in the UK and are UK citizens. Following FATCA's passage, many such "accidental Americans" suffered closure of their bank accounts: a 2014 survey of US citizens in other countries by Democrats Abroad found that 12.7% of respondents had been denied financial services by their banks, making it harder for accidental Americans to live and work in their countries of residence. Accidental Americans often no owe US income tax, but must spend thousands of dollars in accounting fees to prove that fact, and face potential fines of tens of thousands of dollars for paperwork errors. Those who have spent their lives planning for their retirement without considering the US tax consequences of the non-US financial instruments they hold may find that US taxation wipes out most of their returns on investments. UK residents suspected to be US citizens are separated out at their financial institutions for differential treatment, based upon their place of birth and nationality. Discrimination according to national origin is prohibited in most countries and by the European Convention on Human Rights. American Citizens Abroad, a not-for-profit organization representing the interests of the millions of Americans residing outside the United States, points out that FATCA's problem is citizenship-based taxation. The United States and Eritrea are the only countries in the world which impose taxation and reporting requirements on citizens living abroad permanently. The Guardian reports that Americans living abroad feel financially terrorized by FATCA requirements. According to research by Democrats Abroad: "These survey results show the intense impact FATCA is having on overseas Americans. Their financial accounts are being closed, their relationships with their non-American spouses are under strain, some Americans are being denied promotion or partnership in business because of FATCA reporting requirements and some are planning or contemplating renouncing their US citizenship”. The US will not allow accidental Americans to renounce citizenship until they have filed five years’ of tax returns. Due to the rise in applications, the fee for renouncing citizenship was raised by roughly 400 percent in 2015 to $2,350. According to a recent piece in The Economist, a UK resident who was born in America but moved to Britain as a child, “recently received a huge bill from the IRS [the US Internal Revenue Service], out of the blue, for many years of unfiled taxes. He had not realised that he owed anything; he had always paid taxes promptly in Britain. The IRS was so aggressive that he feared he might lose his technology business; he even discussed divorce with his wife as a way to shield their assets. In the end, he settled for a six-figure sum.” In 2014, the UK Government entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement whereby financial institutions in the UK report information about US accounts to HMRC. HMRC then provides the information to the US. The UK government has estimated that the cost to British businesses will be £1.1 billion to £2 billion for the first five years, in order to locate the US citizens. HMRC estimates its own one-off IT and staff project costs at approximately £5m, with ongoing annual costs of £1.4m from this year. FATCA’s effects on UK citizens who by accident of birth are deemed American means that the UK Government’s cooperation with FATCA must end. The relationship between the British state and its citizens is founded on an implicit contract whereby, in exchange for obedience to the law and performance of their civic duties, citizens have a right to the state’s protection.

PERSONAL PRIVACY: The Digital Economy Bill currently before Parliament will introduce compulsory age verification without guaranteeing privacy protections for subscribers. This omission risks users’ personal details and private sexual preferences being exploited for commercial gain and/or leaked into the public domain. SEXUAL FREEDOM: Consensual adult sex should not be outlawed, yet this Bill will prohibit the publication of depictions of sexual activities that are legal to perform. This Bill imposes a financial burden on free, amateur and niche commercial websites, affecting sexual minorities by denying them from freely expressing their sexuality.