On 12 August 2013, following a legal challenge to the ‘Go Home’ vans pilot, the Government confirmed that if any further campaigns of a similar nature are planned, it would carry out a consultation with local authorities and community groups.
The challenge was brought forward by Deighton Pierce Glynn on behalf of two clients of the Refugee and Migrant Forum of East London.
It was brought on the basis that the initiative failed to comply with the public sector equality duty of the Equality Act which requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to elimnate discrimination and harassment and to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
It was also reported that the Advertising Standards Campaign is investigating the campaign in response to complaints from the public. This follows reports that the Equality and Human Rights Commission will ‘ask questions about the extent to which the Home Office complied with its public sector equality duty’ when vans were sent around London encouraging illegal immigrants to ‘go home’ and will investigate the use of immigration spot checks to assess whether unlawful discrimination occurred.
Click here for details on the Migrants’ Rights Network website
Click here for Deighton Pierce Glynn press release (12 August)
Click here for BBC report (9 August)
Click here for Sky News report (3 August)
Click here for Guardian report (3 August)
