By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

 

LONDON, England — A bill put forth in Parliament which would have currently and posthumously excused gay men convicted of same-sex offenses when homosexuality was illegal in the United Kingdom was prevented from progressing to a vote after a member filibustered the proposed bill.  The bill, named the ‘Turing Bill’ after Alan Turing, was proposed by John Nicolson MP.  The Turing Bill would have granted a blanket pardon for approximately 65,000 men – 15,000 of which are alive today.

 

 

Sam Gyimah, Justice Undersecretary of the Conservative party in the UK, spoke for 25 minutes, which took up the allotted time allowed for voting on the bill.  Gyimah argued that the bill did not protect against men who engaged in sexual relations with a minor, or those who engaged in non-consensual sex.

The government countered Nicolson’s bill by proposing an amendment to the Policing and Crimes Bill, which would posthumously pardon those men who were wrongfully convicted, and allow those who are still alive go through a “disregard process” in order to clear their names.  The government stated that it does not support the Turing Bill because they believe it might lead to people being cleared of offenses that are still considered crimes.

LGBTQ-rights organization Stonewall UK voiced their disappointment in the filibuster, however vowed to work with the government and Nicolson to build on the government’s proposed bill and “reach the best possible outcome for those wrongly accused and convicted men.” Iain Stewart, a conservative MP, stated that while he would support the government’s amendment, he believed it would not do enough for those affected.

One of the signatories to the bill was Turing’s great niece, Rachel Barnes.  Barnes told reporters that her family has “always considered that it is totally unjust that only Alan was given a pardon.  There were 50,000 other homosexuals who were convicted and not given a pardon. We would really like this to be put right now.”

Debate on the Turing Bill will start again in December, however many are skeptical as to how far the bill can progress without support from the government.

 

For more information, please see:

NBC — Comprehensive Gay Pardon Law Filibustered in UK — 22 October 2016

BBC — ‘Turing Bill’ for Gay Pardons Fails in Parliament — 21 October 2016

The Guardian — Conservative Minister Obstructs Progression of Gay Pardon Law — 21 October 2016

Newsy — Filibuster Kills the UK’s Gay Pardon Bill — 21 October 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France — On Tuesday, a group of workers in orange jumpsuits and hardhats began demolishing the migrant camp in Calais, France known as “the jungle” by tearing down shelters used by the migrants with sledgehammers.  The workers also disposed of migrants’ possessions by throwing them into dumpsters.

Tuesday was the final day that residents were officially allowed to reside in the camp.  On Monday, over 3,100 migrants were bussed out of the camp and sent to other regions around France to begin the process for resettlement.

Some migrants appear determined to stay in the camp for as long as possible.  On Monday evening, a group of migrants threw stones at police officers, who responded by firing tear gas back at them.  Two migrants from Afghanistan told reporters that they refuse to leave the camp because doing so would mean giving up on their dreams to make it to Britain.

Other migrants are ready to leave the camp in hopes of finding better living conditions elsewhere.  One Sudanese migrant, Hassan Jibril, explained how “it is a very bad situation here” and that he and his companions are “ready to leave.”  Another Sudanese migrant, Abdullah Umar, explained that “[t]he Jungle is no good” and “[t]here are problems. Sometimes there’s fighting. And it’s cold.”

It is unclear how French authorities will enforce removal from the camp.  Prior to the destruction process, Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said that migrants would not be forced to leave the town of Calais.  Brandet maintained that the evacuation process was to be “done on a voluntary basis and no coercive measures will be taken towards the migrants.”

Children are the only group allowed to remain in Calais throughout the demolition process.  They will be housed in converted shipping containers while the deconstruction process continues throughout the rest of the camp.  Save the Children, a non-governmental organization working with the children in the camp, fears “many children may disappear” or end up in the hands of traffickers if the camp is cleared completely before the children are secured safe places to stay.

The French government’s goal is to remove all migrants from the camp by the end of the week, and clear the camp site completely by the end of December.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC — Calais ‘Jungle’: Demolition Crews Pull Down Migrant Camp — 24 October 2016

CNN — Calais ‘Jungle’: Demolition of Massive Migrant Camp Begins — 24 October 2016

The Guardian — Calais Camp: Demolition Crews Move In — 24 October 2016

NY Times — ‘We Are Ready to Leave’: France Clears Out Calais ‘Jungle’ — 24 October 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France — On Thursday, France passed legislation allowing transgender people to change their legal gender status without undergoing the process of sterilization.  The previous law required that the person wishing to legally change their gender provide proof that they had been surgically and irreversibly sterilized.  According to the group Transgender Europe, sterilization was historically necessary to prove that transgender people were serious about changing genders.  The UN has strongly condemned involuntary sterilization as a human rights violation.

Under the new law, transgender people in France will no longer have to provide proof of medical treatment when they are in the process of officially changing their gender.  The law will also allow emancipated minors to officially change their genders as well.

France is now one of a number of European countries to abolish the sterilization process for transgender people.  The activist group ILGA-Europe called the change “clear progress” that “another European country has dispensed with the shameful practice of sterilization.”  Sophie Aujean, a spokeswoman from ILGA-Europe, stated that “These are years of sparring that finally come to fruition” and that “There is no other population in the world that is asked to be sterilized apart from transgender.”

ILGA-Europe, however, notes that it is still unfortunate that transgender people in France must have a court legally recognize their gender change.  Other European countries including Denmark, Malta, Ireland, and Norway have all adopted laws that dispense with medical or judicial requirements of gender changes, relying on the principle of “self-determination.”  People in those countries simply have to inform authorities of their gender change.  Stephanie Nicot, head of the French LGBT Federation, admonished the fact that transgender people will still have to go through the court.  She stated that “We’re not offenders, and judges have more important things to do!”

2013 studies show that approximately two-dozen European nations still require sterilization, including Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland.  In Britain, Spain, and Germany, a psychiatric diagnosis of gender dysphoria or transsexualism is required in order to legally change gender.

 

For more information, please see:

The Independent — France Scraps Obligatory Transgender Sterilisation Law — 18 October 2016

BBC — Transgender Rights: France Scraps Sterilisation in Status Law — 14 October 2016

Fox News — France Passes Legislation Scrapping Transgender Sterilization Law — 14 October 2016

The Verge — Transgender People no Longer Required to Undergo Sterilization in France — 14 October 2016

NBC — French Law Scraps Sterilization for Transgender People — 13 October 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France — Thousands of protestors marched in Paris on Sunday to demonstrate their opposition to same-sex marriage laws.  Police estimated the crowd to be at approximately 24,000, however organizers of the event estimated the turnout to be about 200,000.  The protest was led by the anti-gay marriage movement “Manif Pour Tous,” which translates to “Protest for Everyone.”  Participants waved French flags and wore the movement’s colors – blue and pink.  Some brought signs which read “All together for the family” and “In 2017, I’ll vote for the family.”

In 2013, France’s socialist government legalized same-sex marriage in a movement they called “Marriage for All.”  The protestors on Sunday hoped to put pressure on right-winged politicians, who are about to take part in a presidential primary in November, to repeal the law if elected.  One 29-year old protestor stated that he wanted a “return to the principles of Christian civilization in terms of family, institutions and work.”  Manif Pour Tous also opposes surrogate pregnancies, assisted reproduction technology, and adoption by same-sex couples.

One hundred gay rights activists staged their own demonstration in opposition to the anti-gay marriage protest to “respond to the hate propagated by Manif Pour Tous.”  At the demonstration, same-sex couples kissed at the city’s central Place de la Republique.  The protest was also briefly interrupted when 13 people were arrested following a protest by six topless women from the activist group Femen.  Some of the women had the phrase “Hate is not a family value” written across their chests.

Former French President and 2017 presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy stated that he would not repeal the law if he were to return to the presidency.  Sarkozy believes that “France has many other important issues to deal with such as security, terrorism and unemployment, rather than recreate conditions for another hysterical debate.”

Manif Pour Tous last orchestrated a large demonstration in 2013 against the Marriage for All law, claiming to have gathered 1.4 million people in the streets of Paris.

So far, none of the leading presidential candidates from the right-wing party have said they intend to repeal the same-sex marriage law if elected.

 

For more information, please see:

DW — Tens of Thousands Protest Against Gay Marriage in Paris — 16 October 2016

France 24 — Anti-Gay Marriage Protesters Return to Streets of Paris — 16 October 2016

Reuters — French Anti-Gay Marriage Protesters March to Revive Issue Before Polls — 16 October 2016

Yahoo — Anti-Gay Marriage Protesters Return to French Streets — 16 October 2016

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

LONDON, England — The first group of children to leave the migrant camp popularly known as “the jungle” in Calais, France has traveled to Britain to be reunited with relatives.  On Monday, 14 children ranging in age from 14-17 left the camp and were brought by government officials and charity workers to a Home Office immigration facility in Croydon, which is in south London.  The children were held there before being reunited with family at various locations, including local churches.

These children are allowed to be reunited with family in Britain under a law called the Dublin Regulation, which allows children with close relatives in Britain to seek asylum there even if they also have asylum elsewhere.

Aid groups praised the transfer of the children after warnings that keeping the children in the Calais camp might put them at risk of being trafficked.  Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury who has aided the efforts to transport the children to Britain, believes that Britain has “…the beginnings of some sort of response to what is still a hugely troubling and very, very urgent situation.” Williams urges that Britain can “offer secure environments for these children” as well as “a place of safety.”

The French and British interior ministers, Bernard Cazeneuve and Amber Rudd, have agreed to speed up the process of transferring children from the Calais camp to Britain.  While it is unknown exactly how many unaccompanied minors are living in the camp, the Red Cross estimates there to be about 1,000.  178 of these children have been identified as having relatives in Britain, however some are being held back from being transferred to Britain for bureaucracy reasons.

In a slightly separate process, Britain has been collaborating with French authorities to identify children who can be brought to Britain under an amended British immigration law known as the Dubs amendment.  Under this amendment, Britain will agree to take in “vulnerable unaccompanied child refugees” who arrived in the European Union prior to March 20, even if they do not have familial ties to Britain.

It is expected that dozens of more children will make the journey to Britain this week so they can be reunited with relatives.  Britain’s effort marks the beginning of its commitment to welcome migrant children into its borders before the Calais camp is permanently destroyed.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC — Families Speak of Their Joy at being Reunited with Calais Children — 17 October 2016

The LA Times — A Journey Through ‘Hell’: First Wave of Migrant Children from Calais Arrives in Britain — 17 October 2016

Reuters — First 14 Unaccompanied Children from Calais ‘Jungle’ Reach Britain — 17 October 2016

The Washington Post — 14 Migrant Children Arriving in UK from Calais Migrant Camp — 17 October 2016