Janet King, Council member of Liberal Democrats for Seekers of Sanctuary writes :
I had the pleasure of representing LD4SOS at the Parliamentary launch of the APPG inquiry into the use of detention foriImmigration purposes in the Wilson Room of Portcullis House. After queuing to get through what seemed a little like immigration control to get into the building I found a packed room with many familiar faces from NGOs including members of Detention Forum.
Sarah Teather was given a standing ovation after the report was summarised. One speaker was former detainee Souleymane,, whose moving testimony to the inquiry had made The Guardian that morning, and who, after years in prison and immigration detention, had still not been granted asylum status. Without that status he is not allowed by the present system to earn but is working as a volunteer visitor guide at the Wallace Collection.
Amidst our joy that the report was calling for a radical rethink of our inhumane asylum system and immigration laws one former detainee had sad news; a friend, had committed suicide in detention earlier in the week.