A MONMOUTH human rights group is joining a nationwide week of action.

From October 10-17, Monmouth Amnesty will be joining Amnesty UK, Liberty, Stonewall, the Quakers, the Humanists and others in holding a Week of Action for Human Rights in the UK.

This is in the context of two major pieces of proposed legislation which Amnesty has claimed "threaten to undermine fundamental human rights".

They say that a new policing bill will give police "sweeping powers, including additional powers to shut down peaceful protests".

"The right to protest is fundamental to a free and fair society," they said.

"It's a right we have fought long and hard for. Without the right to protest, accountability and freedom suffers."

Amnesty say that the Nationality and Borders Bill, far from fixing our asylum system, is set to make it worse.

An Amnesty UK spokesperson said: “Criminalising people just for trying to reach a place of safety is morally and legally indefensible.

"Instead of taking its international responsibilities over refugee rights seriously, the UK is effectively passing the buck to other countries.

"Unless this Bill is drastically amended, we will end up with even more chaos and delay in our dysfunctional immigration system.”

In December 2020 the UK government launched a review of the UK's Human Rights Act (HRA).

The review focuses on the relationship between the UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights; the impact of the HRA on the relationship between the judiciary, executive and Parliament; and the implications of the way in which the Human Rights Act applies outside the territory of the UK.

Amnesty UK's response argues that there is no case for reforming the HRA as it has been effective at protecting people's rights.

The proposed reforms would, they say, erode human rights protections in the UK

A Monmouth Amnesty spokesperson said: "Along with groups across the country, we will be highlighting and publicising our concerns, lobbying local MPs, raising our concerns and calling for a rethink."