Minutes:
The Chief Executive reported that two requests to address the Council had been received, the first from Ms. Clare Mullaly from End Deportations Belfast and Ms. Kellie Turtle from Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice to address the Council meeting in relation to their ongoing campaign regarding the living conditions of pregnant asylum seekers and refugees. The second was from Mr. Chris Eisenstadt from BookTrust – in relation to a motion on an Imagination Library
The Council acceded to the requests and, accordingly, Ms. Clare Mullaly from End Deportations Belfast, together with Ms. Kellie Turtle from Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice, were welcomed by the Lord Mayor.
Ms. Turtle explained that Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice was one of three organisations that were campaigning on the issue of the detention of pregnant women at Larne House, a short-term holding facility.
She said that it had come to light through freedom of information requests that, between June 2016 and June 2022, eight pregnant women had been held at Larne House, and that the issue was of great concern. She stated that reproductive justice meant creating a society where the reproductive rights and health of women and pregnant people were fully available to all without discrimination and included the right to have save and dignified pregnancy and birth and have babies born into safe environments.
She stated that it was unacceptable to have pregnant people in detention in Larne House on the basis of their immigration status, which would mean that they are cut off from all statutory health services and would only receive care from a private healthcare provider, Mighty, who operate the facility on behalf of the Home Office.
She explained that most individuals who passed through the UK immigration detention system were subsequently released back into the community, with their detention having served no purpose and to subject pregnant people and their babies to risk for no clear purpose, was not acceptable.
She concluded by stating that there had been clear consensus that the dehumanising treatment of marginalised people was not acceptable and that there was a need for alternatives to detention. She said that Belfast City Council had a part to play and asked for commitment to being part of the process in developing community based alternatives to prevent pregnant people being detained in Larne House.
Ms. Mullaly stated that Larne House, as a short-term holding facility and according to the UK Home Office, immigration detention should only be used to detain an individual immediately prior to their scheduled deportation, however, she explained, that the reality was different and, in 2022, only fourteen percent of individuals detained were eventually deported.
She informed the Council that alternatives to detention existed and that Action Foundations’ alternative to detention pilot, run in conjunction with the UK Home Office, identified an humane alternative to detention with no decrease in compliance to immigration rules.
She pointed out that the geography of Northern Ireland provided an ideal region for alternatives to detention and that she was calling on the Council to work with other bodies to explore ways to ensure everyone in the city was treated with dignity and respect and that Larne House would cease to operate.
The Lord Mayor thanked Ms. Mullaly and Ms. Turtle for their deputation and they retired from the meeting. She welcomed Mr. Eisenstadt from BookTrust to the meeting.
Mr. Eisenstadt explained that he was pleased that the Council had been taking action to support children’s reading and that he felt the Council had a capacity to do a lot of work to encourage and support children’s reading.
He outlined the work of the BookTrust and how they deliver though the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Education Authority, and how the BookTrust carefully selected partners who were working towards the same goal, to get children to enjoy reading. He stated that all projects were designed to fit in with the work that partners were undertaking and not to add to their busy schedules.
He provided an overview of a pilot project which had been in progress, BookTrust Early Years, which was a targeted project aimed at children who had been, statistically, most likely to miss out on forming a reading habit. He informed the Council that the pilot project did not have a funding source as it was still in the pilot stage and that the BookTrust was keen to find resources to expand the project.
He explained that the BookTrust Time to Read project, which was being delivered by teachers and the Letterbox Club project, whereby children, signed up to the project, between the ages of three to thirteen were sent an age-appropriate book between the months of May to October to encourage reading over the summer months.
He concluded by stating that the BookTrust had a range of partnerships, pilots and projects and had successfully worked with children and families across age ranges and communities and had strong local knowledge and that he was delighted that the Council recognised the vitality of the issue and had seen a role for itself in supporting giving children the joys of reading.
The Lord Mayor thanked Mr Eisenstadt for his attendance and he retired from the meeting.
The Council noted the information.