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Amnesty International Condemns UAE Arbitrary Detention, Deportation Of Black Africans

Published

4 years ago

October 25, 2021

Amnesty International (AI) has condemned the United Arab Emirates (UAE) treatment of Black Africans in strong terms.

The damnation came as Nigerians hailed the UAE for exposing the financiers of Boko Haram and terrorism.

In a statement, AI said on the night of June 22 and 25, police in Abu Dhabi broke into the homes of hundreds of migrant workers as they slept, targeting Black Africans in racially motivated arrests.

They were detained for weeks in al-Wathba prison and subsequently deported them without due process.

In detention, the authorities subjected them to inhuman and degrading treatment and stripped them of nearly all their belongings.

In September, AI interacted with 18 victims of the raids and deportations, comprising 11 Cameroonians, 5 Nigerians, 1 Ugandan, and 1 Ghanaian – 8 women and 10 men.

The raids targeted Black Africans in hundreds of flats in al-Wathba. The few Asian nationals arrested with them were taken because they happened to be living in the same flats as Africans.

AI noted that the arrests and subsequent interrogations presented a consistent pattern of racially motivated, arbitrary arrests followed by incommunicado detention for weeks on end in inhumane, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, followed by arbitrary deportation.

After news of the deportations, the UAE’s Ministry of Interior, on September 3, explained that the arrests “involving 376 women and men were carried out as part of legal procedures to address crimes related to human trafficking”.

AI quoted the UAE as saying: “Those arrested were found to be involved in these crimes, as the UAE was proactive in enacting a comprehensive law to combat human trafficking and preserve the rights of all groups of society in a way that protects victims and punishes violators of their rights while deterring those who commit such crimes.”

This also carries the risk of forcibly returning individuals to a country where they face the risk of serious human rights violations, in other words refoulement, hence an additional risk of serious human rights violation.

Amnesty International called on the UAE to “immediately halt racially motivated detentions and deportations and to urgently provide restitution to the hundreds of African nationals detained and deported in the operation launched on the morning of 25 June 2021”.

The rights organizations stressed that racially driven raids and mass detentions are not in line with global agreement on human rights protection.

Kabirat Olokunde from Nigeria, deported on August 22, was living in the Lagym building.

She said the police had not allowed her to dress and handcuffed her despite the fact that she was in her sleeping shorts.

“I was asking them: Why am I here? I’m not a criminal. I have my papers. Why are you bringing me here? They told me: Emirates give, Emirates take. I was also molested,” Kabirat told Amnesty.

“Those idiots were touching my boobs. I told them, you touch [me] again I will slap you.”

“Ricky” from Cameroon recalled that in his prison cell of 62 people, there was a single non-African, a Bangladeshi man.

“That’s why he found himself in this mess. They asked him: Why can’t you look for your own nationality, or any Asian nationality, and live with them? Why did you go to stay with Africans?”, he recounted.

Amnesty International added that all those interviewed described the same pattern of racial targeting in the apprehensions.

Related Topics:Amnesty International black Africand

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Over 600 Pilgrims Hospitalised After Chlorine Gas Leaked In Iraq

Published

1 day ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

More than 600 pilgrims in Iraq were briefly hospitalised with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as the result of a leak at a water treatment station, authorities said on Sunday.

The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the centre and south of Iraq, respectively.

This year, several million Shiite Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.

There, they will mark the Arbaeen — the 40-day period of mourning during which Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

In a brief statement, Iraq’s health ministry said, “621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala”.

“All have received the necessary care and left the hospital in good health,” it said.

Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims, meanwhile, said the incident had been caused by “a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road”.

Much of Iraq’s infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of conflict and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lax.

In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities.

AFP

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PHOTOS: US Soldier Searching For Her Nigerian Father

Published

1 day ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

Old photos of Zainab James Parents, Lateef Quadri and Claudine James. Credit: Facebook

A US soldier, Zainab James, has launched a public search for her Nigerian father, identified as Lateef Quadri

The 31-year-old took to Facebook on Sunday to share old photographs of her father and her late mother, Claudine James, including one where Claudine was pregnant with her.

According to Zainab, her mother became pregnant in 1993, and she was born in 1994. Sadly, she lost her mother.

Old photos of Zainab James Parents, Lateef Quadri and Claudine James. Credit: Facebook

In her post, Zainab wrote, “Update: Mother’s name : Claudine James, born Decenber 9, 1969 in Montego Bay, Jamaica (deceased) , Hey All! A real shot in the dark but why not! My mom(pictured) got pregnant with me in 1993 ( I was born 1994) while living in Brooklyn New York. I’m looking for my father or any of his family. All I know is he was Nigerian, possibly named Lateef Quadri or something like that. They didn’t have a long term relationship as he wasn’t present at my birth but he did choose my name. No one in my family met him either. Apparently she was friends with his sister who worked in a jewelry store with her.”

Old photos of Zainab James Parents, Lateef Quadri and Claudine James. Credit: Facebook

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FULL LIST: 13 More Cars Now Eligible For Up To £3,750 UK’s Electric Vehicle Grant

Published

2 days ago

August 10, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced 13 additional cars that qualify for its new electric vehicle grant. None of them currently qualify for the full discount available.

According to a statement on the government’s website, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that from August 5, buyers can get £1,500 off four Citroën models – the Citroën ë-C3, ë–C4, ë-C5 and the ë-Berlingo. The discount will be applied automatically at purchase, with no extra paperwork required.

These are the first models approved under the £650 million Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme. More vehicles are expected to be added in the coming weeks. The ECG allows carmakers to apply a discount at the point of sale for eligible electric vehicles that meet high sustainability standards.

The scheme is funded until the 2028–2029 financial year and aims to boost EV sales, support jobs, and attract investment.

Since July 2024, over 17,300 public chargepoints have been installed in the UK — a 27% increase from last year — bringing the total to more than 82,000. The government plans to expand this to over 100,000 in the coming years, with a new chargepoint added roughly every 30 minutes.

Models from Renault, Nissan and Vauxhall are also now eligible for the £1,500 grant, although none meet the criteria for the full £3,750 discount yet as they are classified among the Band 2 cars. Nissan believes its new Leaf, to be built in Sunderland, may qualify for the higher grant, but this is not confirmed.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the grant, a vehicle must:
Be an M1 passenger vehicle
Produce 0g CO₂/km at the tailpipe

Have a minimum range of 100 miles (160 km)
Include a 3-year or 60,000-mile warranty (whichever comes first)

Be powered by a battery with an 8-year or 100,000-mile warranty (whichever comes first)

Meet minimum sustainability standards

Cars Eligible for EV grants
Nissan

Micra – Based on the Renault 5 with some design changes, sharing the same motors and batteries. Starting price after the grant is under £22,000.

Ariya – Electric SUV with a spacious interior. Nissan plans to reduce the price to qualify for the grant.

Leaf – The new model offers up to 375 miles of range. Nissan expects it may qualify for the full grant.

Renault & Alpine

Renault 5 – Compact hatchback priced under £23,000 before the grant.
Renault 4 – Larger and roomier than the Renault 5, starting at £27,000.
Renault Megane – Modern design with Google-based infotainment. Prices start at £32,500.
Renault Scenic – Family-sized EV with up to 381 miles of range. Starts at £35,495 after the grant.
Alpine A290 – Performance-focused version of the Renault 5.

Vauxhall

Corsa Electric – Small hatchback with potential savings beyond the grant.
Combo Life Electric – Practical MPV with a spacious interior.
Astra Electric – Family car available in hatchback or estate form.
Mokka Electric – Compact SUV with distinctive styling.
Frontera Electric – Affordable SUV with a large boot.
Grandland Electric – Larger family SUV with a lower price than some competitors.

Citroën

ë-C3 – Compact EV priced from £20,600 after the grant.

ë-C3 Aircross – Larger version of the ë-C3 with more boot space.
ë-C4 – Alternative to the VW ID.3 with a simpler interior layout.
ë-C4 X – Saloon-style version of the ë-C4.
ë-C5 Aircross – Flagship SUV arriving in the UK in October 2025.
ë-Berlingo – Large electric MPV with a focus on practicality.

The government has confirmed more models from other manufacturers will be added to the scheme as they are approved.