New Free E-Learning Course: Torture and the Asylum and Immigration System

This month REDRESS will be launching a new free e-learning course designed for community organisations and similar organisations without specialist legal knowledge.

If you would like to be informed by email when the course is available, please send an email to us at [email protected] with the subject heading “COURSE UPDATE”.

What is the aim of the training?

To raise awareness among community organisations about the following:

  • The concept of torture in the international human rights framework
  • How to seek accountability for torture
  • The aspects of the international human rights system which may be most useful to those who are in contact with
    • torture survivors within the asylum system, or
    • others at risk of mistreatment in immigration detention.

As a result we aim to improve participants’ ability to:

  • Identify key cases,
  • Develop strategies to seek redress including the use of complaints mechanisms, court cases, and advocacy (including the use of the UK Parliament)
  • Refer appropriate cases to REDRESS or other professionals

What will this training cover?

  • An introduction to international human rights and torture, including:
    • Key treaties
    • Definitions of torture
    • How to seek accountability
  • Torture issues in immigration detention
    • Definitions of torture
    • Vulnerable detainees
    • Liability of private providers of immigration detention
  • Torture issues in the asylum process
    • The concept of non-refoulement (sending someone to another country where they will face the risk of torture)
    • Vulnerable asylum seekers
  • Redress mechanisms
    • UN Mechanisms
    • Litigation in the UK and the European Courts
    • Advocacy strategies

Who is this training for?

Community organisations and similar organisations without specialist legal knowledge who have contact with migrants and asylum seekers in the UK. No prior knowledge required. This is not training on immigration law, and nor will it enable participants to give regulated immigration advice.

How will this training be delivered?

A basic introduction will be available as an interactive “e-learning” package (available direct from the REDRESS website), and this will be supplemented by a series of webinars in which certain key topics (as requested by participants) can be explored in more detail.

This course is generously supported by the Baring Foundation.

Photo credit: Dimitri Tosidis/UN/OCHA