Crowdjustice appeal to challenge "Operation Nexus"

The AIRE centre have launched a crowd justice appeal to fund their appeal against the ruling in the Operation Nexus case (Operation Nexus is a policy which sees any EEA national who has contact with the police face questioning about their right of residence with possible deportation if that does not go well).

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/challenge-operation-nexus/

Now is your chance to chip in to help the case….

The High Court judgment is here: AIRE Centre v SSHD and Met Police

Reposting here the text from the email advertising the case:

Dear All

We are challenging the Home Office “Operation Nexus”, a policy which has been used to target EEA nationals for removal from the UK in collaboration with the police.
The case is due to be heard by the Court of Appeal in July this year and we are raising money to cover potential legal costs.
How Operation Nexus works

We were originally told that Operation Nexus was going to target serious, dangerous criminals for deportation, with Home Office and police forces across the country sharing information to catch these ‘high-harm’ individuals.

However, Operation Nexus is being used to detain and remove anyone who has had contact with state authorities, whether through stop and search, activism, or an old or non-violent conviction. Individuals, including those in police custody, are interviewed without the right to a lawyer (or the any of the other usual protections available under PACE).
Why is the case important

Over 3000 people have been removed under Operation Nexus since 2012.

A subject access request showed that those targeted by Operation Nexus have tended to be from Poland, Romania and the Baltic States. Many are vulnerable, economically or due to be the victims of organised crime (such as women trafficked to the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation).

There are longstanding concerns about the legality and the lack of transparency surrounding Operation Nexus. In most deportation cases individuals are deported based on proven conduct, usually demonstrated by the presence of a criminal conviction. However, in Nexus cases, the Home Office is provided with police intelligence regarding individuals who may be suspected of some form of criminality, or who may have had a criminal conviction many years ago or in some cases may not have been convicted of a criminal offence ever and have simply been encountered by the police. This intelligence information is then presented to decision making authorities, such as the immigration tribunal, without any external scrutiny or challenge.
Despite these concerns, Operation Nexus continues to be rolled out across the UK.

What we are trying to do?

Our challenge argues that Nexus is contrary to EU and UK law. If we are successful, Operation Nexus would have to be drastically re-thought or withdrawn as a policy. Individuals removed because of Nexus would potentially be entitled to return to the UK and/or seek damages due to their unlawful removal

How can you help?

The AIRE Centre continues to act pro-bono in this case, with the assistance of Deighton Pierce Glynn and Counsel.

We have a protected costs order which limits our costs to a fixed figure. However, as a charity, we must raise money to meet that figure because we do not have sufficient resources of our own. Without financial help, we will simply not be able to carry on with this important legal challenge.

We need to raise £11,000 to make it possible. Initially we are looking to raise £6k to cover costs but eventually we need the full amount. If we don’t raise the money in the next 29 days, we get nothing. That is how Crowd justice works.

We are therefore asking you to consider supporting this legal challenge through donating to the following link and/or to share this e-mail/link with friends, family or colleagues who may be interested in supporting the AIRE Centre to bring this important case to court.

http://www.crowdjustice.com/case/challenge-operation-nexus

Matthew Evans
Director

They need £299 more. Just saying….