#10-year Long Residence Indefinite Leave to Remain

[lexlawuk]

Calculate Your Leave to Remain Application Date

Navigating the complexities of UK immigration law can be daunting, especially when it comes to submitting a Leave to Remain application. Ensuring that your application is submitted correctly and on time is essential to maintaining your legal status in the UK. In this detailed guide, we’ll explore the importance of the application date, how to calculate it, and why instructing our leading London…

[furashuban]

Awakening (Chapter 1: Those Who Try)

The first main story in my series in over a year! This is the first chapter of a 4-part story and will be updated every couple of weeks, hoping you all enjoy!

Words: 2.4k

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47759587/chapters/120392875

Summary:  Every 10 years on an early winter’s day, a Timaani wakes up from hibernation. If one were in the wilderness and looked yonder to find a dense forest atop a hill, chances were that that hill was a sleeping Timaani—and an ancient one no less, for miles of forestlands tend to grow on its back with every passing century it lives.

When Eliott Arrowwood finds out that hundreds of creatures now live in the forestland of a hibernating Timaani, he with the help of his friends in Kuluufia devise a plan to bring them to safety before the giant creature awakens soon.

Every 10 years on an early winter’s day, a Timaani wakes up from hibernation. If one were in the wilderness and looked yonder to find a dense forest atop a hill, chances were that that hill was a sleeping Timaani—and an ancient one no less, for miles of forestland tend to grow on its back with every passing century it lives. In other cases, that hill could’ve once been the same creature a long time ago, but has since departed, with all that remains of it now being permanently one with the soil and the wilderness.

But let’s say one was still alive, still hibernating, still very much a Timaani. Once it wakes up, the colossal beast of the north rises on all-fours and begins traversing the countryside as freely as it wants; a behemoth shadow darkening the outskirts of every tundra, lake or even village it crosses. While it’s always best to stay careful, take heart knowing that the Timaanit (plu. form of Timaani) are greatly aware of the earth below them, and will do their best to turn away from smaller creatures to keep them safe from itself. Finally, after an indefinite period of walking, it finds somewhere new and spacious to rest on for another slumberous decade.

Eliott Arrowwood had seen many of these giants walk throughout the 200 years he’d been alive for (give or take). In fact, he was there at the right place and time to safely witness a lone Timaani hibernate just a stretch off the borders of his home city of Kuluufia. He then kept track of the years since he first witnessed the gargantuan creature, and before the autumn season could reach its end on the 10th year, he ventured out to the Timaani’s forest to take a few strolls as to remember it by.

__________

Another chilly afternoon in the city. The trees on every sidewalk became more and more barren each day; the brown and orange leaves that once enveloped them were now piling on the streets for people and bicycles to trample on. Brick chimneys puffed veils of smoke all throughout the day, and through the windows of crowded restaurants and inns were patrons keeping warm with fresh servings of hot food and drinks.

Arrowwood was visiting the Kuluufia National Museum and Library—the KUNAMAL for short—wishing to spend time with the resident librarian and his best friend, Nelly Flanagan, or “Flannel” as he belovingly nicknamed. The pair sauntered around the grand and comfy library building as they conversed with one another. Flannel pushed along a cart of returned books whilst they listened to Arrowwood beside them, and there was enough space in the book cart for a common raven—the librarian’s Vikorppi* daughter, Ramona—to nestle beside the pile and take a joyride as the adults talked.

“So, the forest a week from now is going to…rise from the ground, you said?” Flannel turned to Arrowwood, no longer walking nor pushing the cart.

“That’s because it’s not actually a forest, but a whole living creature, and a big one at that!” Arrowwood clarified, “It’s been asleep for a decade now, but it will soon wake itself up now that winter is coming.” Flannel took a moment to absorb all the hints in Arrowwood’s explanation. “Voi… This whole time?” they whispered; eyebrows raised. They had never seen a Timaani up close like Arrowwood, but they were familiar with the creatures through the books they read as a child and even as an adult.

“Mhm,” Arrowwood nodded grinning, “It’s a rare sight, and since we’re the only ones to know about it as far as I’m concerned, I thought it would be nice to watch its migration together with the kid and Jarno, at a safe distance of course…” Arrowwood had been jubilant throughout most of their conversation, but slowly, an uneasy frown shaped under his beard. “There’s just one other thing, I’m afraid.”

“That being?” asked Flannel, the immortal wanderer’s sudden worry had rubbed off on them.

“I haven’t visited the Timaani’s forest since the year it began hibernating, and when I finally did yesterday, I noticed quite a slew of creatures have made it their home since then. Once the giant thing awakens, nothing will be ready for it.” Arrowwood took off his glasses while still facing the librarian; he tended to do this whenever he talked about something grave and uncertain.

“Just thinking about it now. Hundreds of creatures, mystical and ordinary, will all be displaced or even killed trying to flee from the tremors of a Timaani’s awakening,” he continued, “I have to trudge every corner of its forest and somehow get each and every one to safety, but I’d be lying if I said there was enough time to do that now,” he paused, needing to let out a crestfallen sigh. “Ten years have now passed, Flannel. I would never allow myself to let such a misfortune happen, yet I really, really should’ve prepared for this sooner.”

At that moment, the bearded man felt Flannel’s hand patting his shoulder gently. “Not to worry, Eli” the librarian comforted. “You’ll find a way, but definitely not alone. All we need is a plan, any plan at all using everything we know to get it done. That should be enough, right? If I have to help further by skipping a day from the library to venture into the Timaani’s forest with you, I will do just that, too.”

Arrowwood placed his own hand above Flannel’s, bringing back his smile to let them know he was thankful without having to say it. Flannel was one of the busiest people he knew. After all, they were still the librarian for the KUNAMAL and the loving parent of a mystical child, not to mention the author of a book they longed to finish since they first met. He never intended to ask for the young librarian’s help, but Flannel spoke as though deep down, they knew the bearded man desired their best friend to assist him.

“And you’re absolutely positive about wanting to help?”

“Tietysti, Eli, one-hundred percent.” Flannel grinned softly. Their work in the library was important to them, of course, but their best friend and the creatures he wished to save were even more so.

“Suppose it just begs one more question then,” Arrowwood put his glasses back on, “where can we start in helping a whole forest evacuate from calamity?”

Flannel leaned against their cart of books and began to think. When they came forward to help, they swore they already had something forming in their head, and it was just a matter of bringing that thought back. “Oh! I remember the title now; there’s a book around here that may give us an idea.”

“Lead the way, Nells.” Arrowwood clasps his hands together, hope continuing to build up in him through the librarian.

Flannel picked up Ramona from the book cart and perched her on their shoulder, and soon, the trio ambled to the Myths & Folklore section of the library. Flannel climbed up a ladder as they hovered their finger against a brown hardcover with gold embedded text, pulling it out and scaling back to the wood-paneled floor. On a bench table adjacent to the shelves, the librarian set the book down—it was a bulky publication, the title on the cover read Opas Tuntemattomiin Esineisiin—“The Guide to Objects of the Unknown”—and they browsed through the apparently plentiful pages of the table of contents.

Flannel let out a satisfied Aha before flipping through all the pages front-to back in swift succession. There it was, the page Flannel hoped could give them ideas for their plan. A title in large cursive lettering adorned the chapter. It read Horn of Summoning, and under it was an ink illustration of the artifact: an instrument reminiscent to an old Viking horn, but was much longer and bare from distinguishable designs.

“For as long as the wielder carries a lingering blow from the mouthpiece, the instrument would resonate a bellowing hum that can be heard from all reaches of the land,” Flannel read from the page, “no creature can resist the sound of the Horn, hence upon hearing it, it will curiously locate its source to the person playing the instrument.”

“Huh, I’ll be.” Arrowwood stroked his beard, “Not a bad idea, Flannel. How’d you think of—”

“Nothing but hard librarian knowledge, Eli.” Flannel threw in half-jokingly, tapping the sides of their black ushanka casing their head.

Ramona suddenly hopped off from her mother’s shoulder as she shifted from her raven self into her human form in the blink of an eye. She then leaned towards the edge of the bench to take a good look at the page. “It sort of looks like a tooth with cavities,” she remarked.

Flannel chuckled. “You’re pretty close about that,” they turned to the next page with illustrations of an animal with a pair of long tusks, accompanied with humans suiting floppy hats and robes lounging about. “Have a look at this page, kultaseni.”

“It says…The earliest known Horns were made from the tusks of woolly mammoths until…’mah-guess’?” the Vikorppi child squinted.

“’May-jess’.” Flannel corrected her in a gentle tone.

“Oh, right, sorry.” Ramona blushed, trying to pick up where she left off. “…Until mages learned to make ones using other materials like wood and clay,” she turned to her mother beaming. “Well, that’s nice! For the mammoths especially.”

“I know nothing about carving, so,” the librarian looked up at Arrowwood, “perhaps you can make one of these, Eli?”

“I’m afraid not,” Arrowwood sighed. “Crafting the shape alone is one thing, but an instrument of this sort requires unique precision and, well, a dash of enchantment to actually work,” his hand covered the area of his beard as he pondered. He knew finding a Horn of Summoning was, at this moment, the best way to rescue creatures from the Timaani’s wakefulness, but he also knew that the instrument was just as rare as the giant’s migration.

“We’re going to have to find a mage. Ever been to the Sinfonia Varasto, Flannel?” asked Arrowwood.

“I’m familiar with the place,” answered Flannel, “What are you proposing?”

“If there’s anyone I know who can help us look for a working Horn—perhaps even get her to make one for us—it’s the shopkeeper there, Enni Lampinen.”

Flannel and Ramona thought about the riveting implications Arrowwood had brought about. If this Enni person could help, was she a mage then? In Kuluufia no less? The city’s clocktower out in Pääkatu rung its bell from a distance, telling all Kuluufians that it was officially late in the afternoon. “Okay, the library closes in two hours,” said Flannel. “We can head to the store immediately after.”

__________

Almost an hour had passed since the librarian spoke with the immortal wanderer. Arrowwood decided he would pass the time reading books like everyone else in the building did, meanwhile Flannel continued their duties as the librarian, the plan to find a Horn of Summoning lingered in the back of their head as they worked. Ramona, back to her raven-form, stood on a perch on the front desk waiting for her mum to come back, which they eventually did carrying two books. Across them was a patron who had also waited patiently for the librarian to return with the recommendations he had asked for earlier. “Toivon, että ne auttavat sinua hyvin.” Flannel spoke in their usual kind tone, just with a pinch more friendliness as they wished the patron well in their reading. The patron left, gleefully replying kiitos— “thank you”—in return.

The Vikorppi changed back to her human form, remaining on the desk as she sat and swayed her legs about. “Um, hey mum?” Ramona called the librarian’s attention.

“Yes, dear?” Flannel acknowledged, jotting down the current date and the library books they gave into a log book.

“Are you really going to head out to the Timaani’s forest and save all those creatures with Arrowwood?”

Flannel was quiet for a moment. “I might. I feel like I want to, at least,” they answered, no longer writing. “Whenever Arrowwood finds himself in adventures that worry him more than excite him, I have to be there for him and help prove everything will work out. But thing is, I don’t know how I’ll be able to watch over you if I’m out there helping bring creatures to safety.”

“Well, if you’re going then, I want to go as well,” declared Ramona; both her fists clenched tightly with enthusiasm. Surprised by the child’s sudden offer, Flannel knelt down to the girl’s height.

“I’m afraid the adventure won’t be as laidback or as fun as what we’re used to having with Arrowwood, sweetheart,” they explained. Flannel knew, of course, that the worst possible scenario—being the Timaani waking up early on the day its forestland’s inhabitants were to be saved—would not naturally happen, but Ramona was not used to going on adventures with so much urgency in them; it was easy for the librarian to feel concerned for their daughter’s well-being. “Are you sure you want to?”

“Very sure…Well, I think…” she lowered her hands until they hid under her cloak; admittedly, she was doubtful that saving a forest from a slumbering giant was something she could do in real life, for the knowledge of the giant’s presence itself was enough to make her feel apprehensive. Flannel’s concerns were coming true, but nevertheless, the raven-child grunted and shook her head. “It’s just that, you’re going to be saving all sorts of creatures with just you and Arrowwood all by yourselves, anything can happen because of that,” she explained. “You always care for me when I need you the most, mum, and I want to care for you in return.”

A soft grin formed on Flannel’s face, warmth swelling in their chest. “That means the world to hear, Ramona,” they expressed. “As long as we’re both together out there, the two of us will be okay, I suppose.”

“Does that mean I get to go with you?” a toothy grin formed on Ramona’s face.

“It does, kuu pirakka.” Flannel leaned in to gently kiss the girl’s forehead. “Before we close, it’s best we let Arrowwood know about everything.”

“I can tell him right now!” Ramona hopped from the ground as she turned back to her raven form, flying above the library to head over to Arrowwood.

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[ukvisaexperts]

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[wakingpost]

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[genderqueeers]

The Judge Rotenberg Center: 50 Years of Abuse

taken from this reddit post.

TRIGGER WARNING: This post details a long history of graphic child abuse and torture of the physical and psychological varieties.

Judge Rotenberg Educational Center, a residential school for people with developmental disabilities, emotional disorders, and autism spectrum disorders, in Canton, Massachusetts, USA. This organization has a colourful history to say the least, and given recent news, I've decided to do a bit of a summary

Origins

Founded in 1971 in Providence, Rhode Island, by Matthew Israel. It was originally named the Behavior Research Institute, and started with just two residents, one autistic, the other schizophrenic. In 1975 the BRI opened group homes in Massachusetts, and in 1976 it opened a branch in California.

The Behavior Research Institute of California / Tobinworld

When it opened the California branch in 1975, it did not have a license to operate as a group home, Israel did not have a license to practice psychology in the state of California, and the branch lacked a license to use aversives. This did not stop them. Eventually in 1977 they applied and were rejected for licenses and were scheduled to shut down. The day following their shut down a group of parents reopened the institute as a co-operative with Israel officially being consultant instead of Director, and they applied for the appropriate licenses again. The then-governor of California, Pat Brown, assisted them to gain their licenses, and they were the only group home ever permitted to use "physical aversives" on it's residents. They were awarded $35,000 a year per child by the state, the highest rate for any community facility in California.

July 17, 1981 at the California branch staff restrained 14-year-old Danny Aswad in the face-down position on his bed. He died in that position. An autopsy report stated he died of 'natural causes', however this prompted California to investigate the branch, discovering countless physical and psychological abuses at the facility. Residents were beaten, restrained, humiliated, and starved, sprayed with hoses, refused access to bathrooms, pinched till they screamed, and given "behavior rehearsal lessons" where they were instructed to destroy property, and then punished with spraying for it. Staff were trained in how to conceal bruises on residents from family members and inspectors. This investigation resulted in the facility being forbidden from using anything more punishing than a water spray, and forbade the founder Matthew Israel from stepping foot on the property.

At some point a few years later, this branch was renamed Tobinworld, and was taken over Judith Weber, who later would become Israel's second wife (she was a mother of one of the former residents).

October 1991, 9-year-old Derek Collins was restrained prone in a school bus by a Tobinworld aide and required emergency resuscitation and hospital care. Collins was admitted to Huntington Memorial Hospital in critical condition with possible brain damage. The aide pled guilty for felony child abuse.

In 2014 a mother sued Tobinworld after she alleged her 7-year-old child was regularly abused there, being denied snacks or the ability to use the restroom. She alleged in the preceding year that the facility's vice-president and three aides restrained her child, kicked his feet out from under him causing him to fall and get a bloody nose, and then when he cried they wrapped his face in plastic, causing him to choke on his blood.

In 2016 a 9-year-old boy is restrained by the arms and legs and then sucker punched in the face by a 26-year-old aid. It had been recorded and leaked by another employee who had said it was the third time they had recorded such an event.

These latter two events prompted an investigation where it was found that Matthew Israel had been illegally working at the school again without proper clearance, without the authorities being informed, without a background check, and without tuberculosis tests. The State Education board then closed down one of the branches of Tobinworld in 2016. The school was finally fully shut down in 2019.

The Judge Rotenberg Educational Institute

In 1979 one resident told investigators she desperately wished to leave the school, and her worst fear was an indefinite future in JRC. She contemplated suicide daily.

In 1979 two reports by NY State authorities found the BRI was conducting physical and mental abuse, and that the methods were only effective as a means of coercion with residents relapsing into their old behavior as soon as the immediate threat of punishment was gone.

In 1983, despite corporal punishment being illegal in Massachusetts, the institute was granted special permission for them.

July 23, 1985, 22-year-old Vincent Milletich had been acting out. He was restrained in a chair with plastic tie cuffs on his hands and feet, a mask was placed over his face and a helmet put on, and earphones were put on him to play white noise continuously. He died from asphyxiation. The BRI were not found to have caused his death, however were found negligent for approving the therapy and carrying it out without sufficient supervision. Later in the year, the State Office for Children ordered the BRI to close, or to stop using aversives. There was uproar among disability advocates demanding the school be shut, and controversy over the therapies and why it's residents seemingly 'regressed' without them, with Israel stating such regression in the absence of these interventions showed the effectiveness of them. Israel then took one of his most self-abusive students before Judge Ernest Rotenberg in 1986 and detailed her history. Rotenberg ruled she was unable to make her own treatment decisions, but if she were, she'd choose to stay at the BRI. The State Office for Children paid the BRI $850,000 and they were permitted to remain open and continue using aversives *as long as each student's treatment plan was approved by the probate court*. A year later, June 26, 1987, 29-year-old Abigail Gibson died of cardiac arrest.

1990, Linda Cornelison died. She was nonverbal and one day on the school bus doubled over clutching her stomach. A nurse thought her illness was an act. She was returned to her BRI-run home and given 13 spatula spankings, 29 finger pinches, 14 muscle squeezes, and was forced to inhale ammonia five times. She died the next morning in hospital due to complications related to a gastic perforation. Her mother reported that she had never had suffered gastrointestinal problems before. The Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation found that although the school violated the most basic standards of decency, they were not derelict in their care of her, nor had the administration of aversives killed her.

Around the same time, the school began using the "Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibit System" (SIBIS for short) invented in 1984. It was designed to detect activities such as headbanging and administer eclectic shocks. Shortly afterwards Israel went to the manufacturers of the SIBIS and asked for a more powerful version, as "one student was shocked by the SIBIS over 5000 times a day without producing the desired change in behavior". The manufacturers refused, so Israel designed a system himself in December 1990, called GED (graduated electronic decelerator) that delivered a stronger shocker lasting ten times as long. The FDA cleared the device as they considered it "substantially equivalent to the SIBIS". By 1992 Israel was already phasing out the older GED for his new GED-3a and GED-4, which delivered even stronger shockers. He had never cleared them for use with the FDA.

In 1994 the center changed it's name to the Judge Rotenberg Center.

In 2000 the FDA incorrectly informed the JRC that it was qualified for exemption from registration of the GED-3a and GED-4, and only recognized their error in 2011 and demanded the immediate cessation of their use. They continued to be used till 2020.

The SIBIS provides a 3.5mA shock for 0.2 seconds. The GED-1 produces a 30mA shock for 2 seconds, and the GED-4 produces a 90mA shock for 2 seconds. A typical cattle prod produces a maximum shock of 10-20mA for under a second. The weakest GED's shock strength is still considered about twice the threshold that pain researchers consider tolerable to most adult humans. As of 2010 a GED-5 was in development.

In 2000 the school was receiving $18 million from the state, and in 2006 that increased to $56 million. Matthew Israel was making $321,000 a year.

In 2006 a mother sued the center claiming it had mistreated her son while he was wearing the GED. He was taken out of the school and improved significantly, although for a period after he left he had to remain in a psychiatric ward, and thought cameras still followed his movements and that he might be shocked for misbehaving.

A former staff psychologist said around 2001 the school policy switched from education and treatment to simply keeping students in line, "Israel couldn't stand them not behaving in a perfectly controlled way". Another said the school would punish not only negative behaviour, but actions they perceived as precursors to it. Face slappers would be shocked for raising their hand. Refusing a teacher's order, or talking out of turn were other such precursors.

Every room in the facility had since 1975 a complete setup of surveillance cameras and microphones monitored day and night, the purpose being to catch behaviours staff may have missed and phone them to inform them punishment needed to be handed out. It also had the dual unwritten purpose of monitoring staff members, if they refused to hand out punishments then they would be written up in "Performance Improvement Opportunities" documents, and firing staff who crop up in these too frequently.

One ex-staff member described having to shock people for an array of reasons: stopping work for more than 20 seconds, closing eyes for more than 5 seconds, a girl with cerebal palsy was shocked for moaning and reaching out to hold a staff member's hand. Another was shocked for urinating in their pants, they had been asking to go to the bathroom for over two hours. Yet another was shocked simply because they complained about another student being shocked. The staff member had been instructed to always announce what they planned to reach for in their pocket. One time they forgot and four kids screamed, they had to be punished with an electric shock.

In 2006 it was found that 14 of the 17 resident psychologists lacked proper licenses. It is believed JRC overbilled the state by nearly $800,000 by avoiding hiring licensed psychologists and not declaring that. That money was still uncollected a year later.

In 2007 it was reported the facility had a high turnover, among all staff including psychologists. A group of 52 trainees had been taken in and after three months only 2 remained employed there.

August 26, 2007, Arthur, a student who had been missing for two weeks, called a staff member and identified himself as a worker in DVR (the surveillance room) stating that shocks needed to be given to a resident for behaviours that had occurred before the night shift. The staffer handed the call over to a second staff member, the senior-most on shift at the time, as this seemed to be a breach of policy (punishments shouldn't be given for behaviour that happened over two hours preceding), however the second staffed was one of this recent batch who had only been at the facility for a few months, so handed back to the first staffer. The first staffer proceded to provide GED shocks while the student was in bed, and the staff on shift were instructed by Arthur to use the more potent GED 4, and did so for the rest of the night. The student in question received three further shocks. The student complained to the second staffer, saying the first was doing the wrong thing. The staffers still on the phone with Arthur continued to shock the student. The first staffer went to get another GED to shock the boy's stomach as the leg electrode battery seemed to be no working. The student is seen on camera speaking to the second staffer asking them to find out what is going on, and to call his clinician. Four other staffers are awake at this point, but do not intervene. Arthur seized the replacement GED's batteries in his hand and refused to relinquish them, and after a half hour confrontation was put on a four point restraining bed. He was no longer resisting, and told one of the staffers "let them know I'm being compliant". Staff are meant to tell student's the reasons they have received a shock, however while restrained a GED 4 shock is given without reason. A second GED 4 shock is given for physical aggression. Arthur is heard saying "let them rotate me" (hourly staffers are required to rotate electrodes to prevent burns on the skin, the facility denied that GEDs injured students, however burns were frequency enough that staff at the facility had a name for students going 'off the machine', a "GED holiday"). Arthur receives five more shocks. A ninth shock is given, and the DVR records an audible sob, not from the student, but the second staffer who had to leave the room as he "thought he would either cry or throw up if he stayed". Ten more shocks were given with accompanying reasons. The 20st shock was given without reason. The 21st shock was given for refusing to follow instructions. Nine further shocks were given, bringing the total to 30 GED-4 shocks in a single day. Staffers went to get approval from a psychologist to perform further shocks. Shocks continued. The 37th was given for attempting to remove the device, as were the 38th and 39th shocks. Shocks 50, 51, 52, and 53, were given for "verbal threats to destroy". In total between 70 and 77 shocks were given. After this was all done, Arthur's skin was red, he was defeated, he complained later that night of a racing heart, dry mouth, and difficulty breathing. He described feeling as if he was about to have a stroke. Staff took no action to help him. He suffered first degree burns. Arthur remained at JRC, although was on a "GED holiday".

MDRI Appeal to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

In 2010 the Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) appealed to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, a PDF copy of the 67 page report can be seen **[here](https://abcnews.go.com/images/Nightline/HT_US_Report_4_30_10_100630.pdf)**. It recounts it's own extensive set of equally, and in several cases worse tales of events which occurred at the facility.

Students being restrained for hours or intermittently for days, or even for weeks or months. One case of a student being almost strapped in a chair most of the time for two whole years. A student suffering from seizure disorders and a mild developmental disability, was put in chair restraints most of the time for a few months. He had to wear diapers, he was a teenager and had never had to wear diapers before and was very capable of going the toilet, but they didn't want to untie him to let him use the bathroom. They then escalated him to the GED too. Restraints, strict schedules, and social isolation may have been used as a form of psychological coercion in multiple cases to encourage students to consent to the GED. Another student was found to have severe ulcers in the location where the GED shocker was placed.

A non-verbal deaf and blind girl was rocking and moaning, she was shocked for moaning. She was crying because she had a broken tooth.

The aforementioned cases of students being demanded to misbehave and then shocked also has another variant. Staff would surprise students with mock attacks and threatened stabbings, to compel them to respond with aggression, fear, or screaming. They would then be intensely shocked. This specific excerpt seems scarily reminiscent of a book which caused me to subsequently stumble into and learn about the JRC on the internet - [A Clockwork Orange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_(novel\)), perhaps this is not entirely surprising, the story was created around questioning the idea of free will, and of the theory of Behavioralism, which very much is the theoretical birthplace of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA).

All residents were forced to be vegan, with restricted diets such as mashed food with liver powder. Even up to 2010 (and possibly beyond), withholding of food was a punishment used. Removal of furniture from rooms was another punishment, one student entered with a beautiful room complete with TV and stereo, and after a month had merely a mattress on the floor.

Socialisation with staff members was forbidden. Socialisation with other students was a "reward" which had to be "earned". Education was often by staring at a computer facing the wall using self-teaching software all day long.

As of 2010 at least 6 deaths in total had occurred at the facilities. For over 2 decades Republican Jeffrey Sanchez's nephew was at the facility, and was the young man who received over 5,000 SIBIS shocks a day, Jeffrey Sanchez continually defended the facility and defeated bills aimed at curtailing it.

The school was a 'non-profit' and as such tax exempt, in 2007 it had spent $2.8 million in legal fees to keep it open. Twice regulatory departments had tried to shut it down, but it was either shuffled to another department or the head of the department forced to step down, with hefty payouts to JRC each time. They were a major customer at Rudy Giuliani's law firm.

In 2009 the JRC was required to be recertified for Level 3 Punishments, a team consisting of two psychologists, a psychiatrist, and the Department of Mental Retardation's Director for Human Rights and assistant general council assessed the facility and brought numerous findings of violations, abuses, and concerns. The state still recertified the facility in spite of the findings of this report.

**In 2010, the then Special Rapporteur at the UN, Manfred Nowak, responded to the appeal, saying he had "no doubts about it" being torture.** The subsequent UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, again raised serious concerns about the ongoing activity at JRC in 2012.

In 2011 Israel was indicted on charges of child endangerment, obstructing justice, and acting as an accessory after the fact. He signed a plea deal where he resigned his position at JRC to avoid prosecution.

In 2014 a video was leaked of a shocking in 2002, [Warning: It is a very distressing video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcxpGKctZMs)

The Last Year and a bit...

In 2020 the FDA [took the rare step to ban all "electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) used for self-injurous or aggressive behavior"](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-safety/medical-device-bans). This sort of blanket ban is a rare final step for the FDA, only having occurred twice before, both times for medical devices which presented no or negligible benefit but had extreme associated risks even with proper use. [A more extensive ruling by the FDA is found here](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/03/06/2020-04328/banned-devices-electrical-stimulation-devices-for-self-injurious-or-aggressive-behavior). The ban was effective April 6, 2020.

COVID and ongoing court battles meant that none of the people on the GED devices would be required to transition off it until further legal decisions were made.

[July, 2021, a federal appeals court gave an exemption from the FDA ban to the JRC.](https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-judge-rotenberg-center-uses-electric-shocks-on-students-now-a-court-says-thats-totally-fine)

•••

this is super long and it’s from Reddit but please read it.

[damnusillygoose]

Series- Fairy tail

Pairing- Jerza

title-Resolve

Summary- with newfound optimism, erza and jellal, resolve the knitted tension in their relationship

fanfiction net- https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13961569/1/Resolve

AO3- https://archiveofourown.org/works/34085569

Erza clutched the contents of her purchase closer to her chest as she made a hasty retreat across the boulevard, heading straight towards the residence of a person she wanted to visit. It had started drizzling a while ago and the group of people gallivanting in front her quickly split apart in order to find a shelter to rest. She ran towards the end of the street, nearing her place of destination.

Gasping lightly, she opened the doorknob and set the slightly damp contents near the door. She took off her boots and stepped into the hall.

‘Erza? Is that you?’, she heard a faint voice coming from the kitchen.

She walked past the living room, following the sweet husky that lured her in.

‘Yes, Jellal. Its me.’, brushing down her skirt, she examined her clothes and made a mental note to take a quick shower.

‘Did you find the stuff you were looking for?’, Jellal enquired he stirred the contents of the pot for their dinner.

‘I did. I will store it in my Requip space after it gets dry. It started drizzling on my way back’

‘Really? Do you want a warm towel to dry yourself?’, he left the stove at sim and walked closer to take a good look at her.

‘No, its fine. Can I take a shower though?’

‘Sure. Our dinner will be ready by then.’

She murmured a low thank you and smiled at him flirtatiously before making her way to the bathroom.

It was somewhat cruel, she pondered as the water droplets trail down her body. Fate had a cruel way of keeping them apart from each other. Before it was his self-resolve and now it was her priorities that she had to fulfil. She thought they would finally get some time together after the Aldoron episode but their misadventure to Elentir ended up absorbing their entire time. And before she knew, they had to prepare to leave for the 100 years quest.  

She remembered briefly telling him of her Endeavours that her team undertook to follow unwaveringly. Of course, she wasn’t bound to disclose the details but she felt as if she was tricking him into something he didn’t sign up for. After all, she wasn’t sure when she would return from their 100 years quest. What will she tell him? How long will he wait? When would the mission ultimately end? 2 years? 5? 7? She didn’t know the answer herself.

Her heart started hammering uncontrollably as she recalled the night when he finally took her into warm arms, enveloping her into a hug that she yearned and dreamed for years, whispering in her ears that he was free to love people, which implied that he had forgiven himself and was trying to take a step towards resolving the knitted tension between them. That he was ready to face his feelings for her. That he was ready to show his affection for her openly, unrestrained by any underlying guilt, that he was ready to hold her hand and walk towards the future, their future, together.

Realising how much time she wasted being anxious in her thoughts, she quickly grabbed a towel, and changed into some casual wear. After informing Jellal of her intentions, he decided to invite her for dinner, at the inn he was staying, as a last attempt to spend some time together before her ultimate departure tomorrow.

She made her way to the kitchen where he was busy eviscerating the contents of the pot into their plates.

‘Already done? I wanted to help you.’

‘that’s okay. You’ve got lots of stuff to do tomorrow’, he smiled as he finished pouring their food, laying them in an elegant fashion on the table. She helped him in bringing some cutlery before settling down and digging into their food.

Their dinner was short and they made a quick small talk throughout it. He was talking more animatedly as compared to before, she noted. His features were relaxed, he was no more rigid or talking in a concise manner. They had a habit of bringing missions and current affairs in the magic world , into their conversations; to keep themselves updated with the happenings all around them. From a third persons perspective it would seem as if they only discuss work related matters but in actual reality, Erza realised that she could talk to him about literally anything.

She doesn’t really have to pretend in front of him. That was established a long time ago. They were each other’s saviour. They knew each other more than anyone else did. It amazed her somehow, how well they resonated with each other despite not spending much time like normal couples did.

Couple? Were they one?

The status of their relationship was still obscure but she felt they were getting somewhere. If not smoothly, but slowly and steadily they were progressing towards a definite answer. She felt even more confident after their little-date? Rendezvous? - she could call it a little rendezvous to be on the safe side.

She scurried the last remains of her food before settling her spoon besides her plate. She took the napkin kept before and wiped her mouth gently.

‘Did you like it?’ Jellal asked her curiously, as he slowly reached across the table and took hold of her hand.

‘I did. But it was a little spicy for my taste. But I enjoyed it!’, she responded vividly from her seat to make her intentions clear. She couldn’t help but notice, his display of affections was getting evidently frequent.

They had walked around the town during the day, catching up with each other after they had their little rendezvous, and the entire time they were together, Jellal didn’t let go of her hand even once. It felt nice to walk besides him, holding hands, blushing and chatting spiritedly. He would seldom squeeze her hand and pull her a little closer to whisper something in her ears. Was this for real?

‘Well would you fancy some wine?’, Erza snapped herself out of her daydream upon hearing his question.

‘Yes, of course!’

‘Sweet, let me bring the bottle’

She helped him pick up the dirty utensils. After washing and cleaning the dishes, they settled themselves on the couch in a cosy manner. They brought over the glasses and the bottle and lit up the fire place as the cold fumes had started to invade the room from outside.

‘It sure is getting cold, I wonder if the trains would get delayed if it were to start snowing’, she remarked as she rubbed her palms together.

‘Here’, Jellal handed her a glass of red wine, ‘ It will warm you up’

She accepted the glass and took a sip from it- relishing in that delicacy.

‘Have you ever tried a Gin, Jellal?’, he shook his head, ‘No I haven’t, I did see it on display when I went to buy the wine’.

‘It’s a flavoured vodka made from berries and has a nice citrusy touch to it. Add it to a coke with some lemon and ice cubes and you are good to go.’

‘How about we try it together next time we have meet for dinner or lunch?’

Next time. And when will that be?

Erza heaved a distressing sigh making it awfully palpable to Jellal that something was definitely perturbing her. He kept his glass on the table and gently nudged her.

‘I know something is eating you up. What is it?’, he caressed his fingertips against her cheek.

Erza crossed her legs, and hesitantly looked up to meet his eyes, ‘I can’t help but think how selfish it is of me to suggest you joining fairy tail while I go off on a long mission for gods knows how long. I don’t know when will I return. What will you do till then? You can’t wait for me indefinitely. I don’t know what to think. I feel happy spending time with you but when I think about my pending mission, I feel like I am deceiving you’

‘Alright, you don’t need to hammer yourself down by overthinking this issue excessively’, he swung his arm around her shoulders protectively. Erza sighed before leaning into his embrace naturally, snuzzling her head against his shoulder.

‘Personally, I don’t think you are deceiving me’

‘But I don’t know when will I return!’

‘I know, but you will return someday, right? I don’t know the details of your mission but I am aware that its rather dangerous and long. I…. I don’t mind waiting for you Erza.’

‘What if it takes 10 years for us to complete this mission?’

‘Then I’ll wait 10 years for your return. And no, I don’t think it will take this long to you guys. You are fairy tail’s strongest team after all. And I believe in your ability.’

Feeling some vitality return back to her fingers, Erza gently tugged his free hand, caressing his palm with her thumbs.

‘And it’s not like we would have no contact at all’, he continued to enliven her gloom,’ we have our lacrima phones with which we can talk every day and now with the recent upgradation we can video call each other as well. We just have to development techniques with which we can sustain our contact until you return.’

‘You really are positive about this.’, she looked up and finally smiled, nudging her nose with his cheek. The contact brought shivers down their spines despite the room being adequately warm with the fire lit.

‘I am finally living my life for first time in 29 years, Erza’, he whispered tenderly into her hair, ‘I can’t help not be positive. I have never felt like this before. My brain is gushing with ideas. I had a lot of time to contemplate about myself. There are so many things I want to experience. But first of all, I have to meet up with Meredy and inform her of the proposition you kept before me. I will let you know what our decision will be.’

Erza felt her heart burst with joy when she heard him talking about his future in such an invigorated manner, ‘There is no hurry’.

‘I know but that’s not the only reason I am meeting with her. We detected another suspicious activity near south of Hargeon. We are going to inspect that for a while’.

‘What about the rest of crime sorciere?’

‘A lot of them are busying doing their own stuff. I did inform them about our plan to meet for this mission but it’s their decision to take forth my invitation. I am not going to force my way of life on anyone’

‘I guess everyone has their own version and perception of freedom. Do you miss working with them?’

‘Well, they certainly were a difficult bunch to integrate, initially, but we all corroborated into a small family, I think’, Jellal smiled genuinely as he reminisced their time when they all travelled together in search of their goals and purpose. It did take them some time to get comfortable with each other but when they did, their search for purpose didn’t seem as hopeless as before. They lifted each other in times of despair. They all grew to forgive and love each other.

‘I am so happy for you, Jellal. I am happy to see you so full of life’, Erza lifted her head from his shoulder and took his face in her hands, with tears threatening to fall out, she took a deep breath and kissed his cheek tenderly.

‘Come here’, he could feel his breath quicken as he tugged her legs and urged her to sit on his lap. Erza, hesitant at first, hooked her left thigh over his lap and seated herself comfortably upon them. Her thighs rubbed against his as she noted how strong and muscular, they were.

‘I want to weave a future where I continue to grow as a person, Erza. And I want you beside me. In every step of life, I want to hold your hand and cross every dismay we encounter. And for that, I am willing to wait as long as I have to. So don’t worry about that. I’ll be here when you come back-till then, I will continue to work towards myself and my goal.’

That right there, was the little boy whom she fell in love with in the tower, who dared to challenge life and thrive against every single odd who mocked his resolve. Erza finally let those tears fall and flung her arms around his neck, crying helplessly. Jellal tighten his grip around waist and let his tears fall as well.

‘I love you, Erza. You are the love of my life.’

Erza leaned back to take a good look at his face, which was stained with tears, just like hers. They let out an untimely chuckle, their noses barely touching each other.

‘You are the only man in my heart, Jellal, I love you too’

Their breaths heaved fervently as they neared towards each other. His thumb caressed her cheek that dared to run lower, down to her throat. Their yearning for each other, the desire to hold each other unrestrained, countless nights-days they spent missing and worrying about their beloved’s health- encapsulated itself into a raging storm that invigorated with each breath they took, their sighs synchronised as they closed their eyes and let their lips clash. The entire downpour of emotions came gushing out as if enraptured in a dam. They let their lips meet, then again and then again. The tempestuous storm that reigned supreme came down debilitating into a tranquil walk taken in a warm sunny meadow.

Their arms tightened around each other, refusing to let go. They kissed again, and then again. They emitted a heavy breath and they could swear to God, they didn’t feel this serene before.

‘I love you’, they chanting this phrase for God knows how many times while kissing each other again and again. Resting their foreheads against each other, eyes half-lid from a drug called passion, their lips moved forward for a long and final smooch before going limp each other.

She held him with her arms around his neck, and she held him tight, revitalised with a newfound vivacity and perseverance.

They cuddled in his bed afterwards. He changed into a pair of shorts, shirtless. Erza changed into a pair of shorts and a thin black camisole, not wearing a bra, as she intentionally rubbed herself against his chest, tempting him further.

She flung her left leg over his torso, conquering him successfully. Jellal, flushed red from her actions, held her securely from her waist-kissing her fizzled hair occasionally. He took advantage of his position and didn’t miss an opportunity to play with hair, her hair that he revered so vehemently. He loved her and he wasn’t afraid to say it out loud.

‘It’s overwhelming’

‘What?’, she asked.

‘My feelings for you. I think they will break free and flood the entire town I am afraid. Am I making sense?’ Erza let out a snort as she nuzzled into his neck. Trailing her tongue from his ear to his pulse, she moistened that spot before sucking it and enticing a moan out of his throat.

‘I want to melt into you. Do I make sense?’, she pecked his cheek, awaiting a response from him.

‘You do’-he gasped for air- ‘and you don’t but ignoring the hyperbole, I know exactly what you are talking about. Because I feel the same’. He gave her a cheeky grin and claimed her lips in a passionate smooch. He pulled her on top of him and ran his hands up from her waist, under her camisole, touching every inch of her back, not missing a single spot, reaching the spot where he thought he would find her bra strap-only to find none. That confirmed his doubts when he felt her soft breasts press against him. She leaned down and captured his lips in another enamouring kiss.

‘Erza.’

‘hmm?’

‘Are we a thing now?’

‘a thing?’

‘I mean what is the status of our relationship? It’s kind of vague. Are we dating?’, Jellal put forth courageously, embattled with his own heartbeat drumming against this chest.

She bit her lip nervously and hid her face in his neck timidly, ‘Maybe, I guess.’

Jellal grabbed her waist and aroused from his laying position into a sitting one, taking support of the headrest behind him, he leaned back and took her face in his hands.

‘Erza’

She met his eyes and blushed, ‘Yes’

‘Will you be my girlfriend?’

Her face broke into a huge smile, the most charming smile he ever witnessed in his lifetime.

‘Yes!’, she squealed, brightly, and enraptured his lips into another alluring kiss that he seemed keen on returning.

‘I am going to miss you. I am going to miss you a lot Erza.’

‘Have you packed everything?’, Jellal asked her pensively, going through a list of necessities that she might need on her rough travels.

‘Yes’

‘The package from yesterday evening?’

‘Yes, everything is done’, Erza answered as she bends down to tie her boots.’ When do you leave for Hargeon?’

‘My train is at 5. I still have time to pack. I don’t have much stuff anyways’

‘I see. Keep me updated with the towns you visit.’

‘I will. You keep me updated with your travels as well.’

‘Of course. So, call me whenever to get time. If I don’t pick up, leave a message. And before I forget, keep sending me pictures of yourself!’, Erza chuckled as he kissed her forehead lovingly.

‘I will, my love. Only if you promise to send me pictures of yourself, maybe a little sexy if you have a chance’, he whispered the last part slowly sending shivers down her spine.

She snorted mischievously and shook her head.

‘I love you’, she declared sincerely.

‘I love you too. Take care of yourself.’ He took her face in his hands, cherishing the feel of her skin against his, and pulling her in for a final kiss. Long and imbued of love they harboured for each other.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Trump administration backs off plan requiring international students to take face-to-face classes (Washington Post) The Trump administration on Tuesday dropped its much-criticized plan to require international college students to leave the United States unless they are enrolled in the fall term in at least one face-to-face class. The abrupt reversal, disclosed in a federal court in Boston, came a little more than a week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an edict that stunned U.S. higher education leaders and students worldwide. Under the July 6 policy from ICE, international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities for the fall semester faced a mandate to take at least one course in person. Those students, ICE said, “may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.” That mandate posed a major obstacle to plans for online teaching and learning that colleges are developing in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had sued to block the new policy. In a hearing in that case on Tuesday, held before U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs, the judge announced that the schools and the federal government had reached an agreement that made the lawsuit moot. Separately, 20 state attorneys general had also challenged the guidance in court in recent days.

Patients are still delaying essential care out of fear of coronavirus (Washington Post) Jim Johnson was elated when his hip replacement, canceled in March along with other elective surgeries, finally was performed in May. For months, his pain had been so severe he couldn’t sleep, golf or do his job. Just a few weeks after the operation, he tossed his cane away. Hospitals and doctors practices across the country are hoping there are a lot more Jim Johnsons out there—patients willing to shake off fears about the coronavirus and come back for tests and treatments put on hold early in the pandemic. Yet persuading them to return for non-emergency care is a tricky message right now, with the virus slamming the South and West. In parts of Texas, Arizona, Florida and other states, elective procedures have been halted again. For some patients, the spike in infections is reigniting fears about catching the virus in a hospital or a doctor’s office. Doctors worry that could undermine their efforts to win people back, and lead to more lives being lost from other, often preventable causes, such as cancer and heart disease. Doctors say “elective procedures,” including for cancer, can’t be delayed indefinitely without ill effects. Hospitals, meanwhile, see orthopedic, cardiac and cancer surgeries as their key to survival after losing billions of dollars on the shutdown of lucrative procedures.

Global surge in coronavirus cases is being fed by the developing world—and the U.S. (Washington Post) When the United States began shutting down this spring, a virus that emerged months earlier as a mysterious outbreak in a Chinese provincial capital had infected a total of fewer than 200,000 people worldwide. So far this week, the planet has added an average of more than 200,000 cases every day. The novel coronavirus—once concentrated in specific cities or countries—has now crept into virtually every corner of the globe and is wreaking havoc in multiple major regions at once. But the impact is not being felt evenly. Poorer nations throughout Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia and Africa are bearing a growing share of the caseload, even as wealthier countries in Western Europe and East Asia enjoy a relative respite after having beaten back the worst effects through rigorously enforced lockdowns. And then there’s the United States, which leads the world in new cases and, as with many nations that possess far fewer resources, has shown no sign of being able to regain control.

Rules once lifted are reimposed to try to curb new outbreaks (AP) Virus restrictions once lifted are being reimposed, shutting businesses and curbing people’s social lives as communities try to curb a disease resurgence before it spins out of control. Residents of Australia’s second-largest city were warned on Wednesday to comply with lockdown regulations or face tougher restrictions. Melbourne’s 5 million people and part of the city’s semi-rural surroundings are a week into a new, six-week lockdown to contain a new outbreak there. Indian authorities will impose lockdowns in high-risk areas in nearly a dozen states as the nation’s coronavirus caseload approaches 1 million. Renewed restrictions took effect in Hong Kong on Wednesday, with public gatherings limited to four people, restaurants restricted to takeout after 6 p.m., and a one-week closure for gyms, karaoke bars, and selected other businesses. Masks also are mandated on public transit for the first time, with the non-compliant being fined. In the U.S., places including Washington state are delaying timetables for reopening their economies. Gov. Jay Inslee said counties will remain at their current stage of economic reopening at least until July 28.

Chaotic protests prompt soul-searching in Portland, Oregon (AP) Nearly two months of nightly protests that have devolved into violent clashes with police have prompted soul-searching in Portland, Oregon, a city that prides itself on its progressive reputation but is increasingly polarized over how to handle the unrest. Divisions have deepened among elected officials about the legitimacy of the more violent protests—striking at the heart of Portland’s identity as an ultraliberal haven where protest is seen as a badge of honor. Small groups of protesters have set fires, launched fireworks and sprayed graffiti on public buildings, including police precincts and the federal courthouse, leading to nearly nightly clashes with police who have used force that’s caused injuries. Similar unrest engulfed many U.S. cities when Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck on May 25. But in Portland, which is familiar ground for the loosely organized, far-left activists known as “antifa,” or anti-fascists, the protests never stopped. Lost in the debate are the downtown businesses racking up millions in property damage and lost sales and the voices of the hundreds of thousands of Portland residents who have stayed off the streets. “The impact is terrible because what people have seen on the TV ... has scared people who live outside the downtown. They feel it’s that way 24 hours a day,” said David Margulis, who said the protests have caused sales at his jewelry store to drop more than 50%. “I talk to people, on the phone, who tell me: ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever come downtown again.’”

Drug cartel ‘narco-antennas’ make life dangerous for Mexico’s cell tower repairmen (Reuters) The young technician shut off the electricity at a cellular tower in rural Mexico to begin some routine maintenance. Within 10 minutes, he had company: three armed men dressed in fatigues emblazoned with the logo of a major drug cartel. The traffickers had a particular interest in that tower, owned by Boston-based American Tower Corp, which rents space to carriers on its thousands of cellular sites in Mexico. The cartel had installed its own antennas on the structure to support their two-way radios, but the contractor had unwittingly blacked out the shadowy network. The visitors let him off with a warning. The contractor had disrupted a small link in a vast criminal network that spans much of Mexico. In addition to high-end encrypted cell phones and popular messaging apps, traffickers still rely heavily on two-way radios like the ones police and firefighters use to coordinate their teams on the ground, six law enforcement experts on both sides of the border told Reuters. Traffickers often erect their own radio antennas in rural areas. They also install so-called parasite antennas on existing cell towers, layering their criminal communications network on top of the official one. By piggybacking on telecom companies’ infrastructure, cartels save money and evade detection since their own towers are more easily spotted and torn down, law enforcement experts said.

Massive flooding in Southern China (Foreign Policy) Floods in Southern China are a recurring threat, but they are worse than ever this year—with some 38 million people evacuated and at least 141 dead. Rainfall has been double than the predicted amount in many places, threatening millions of lives and numerous important cultural sites. Thousands of soldiers have been dispatched to help shore up defenses against the rising tides. Water control has been a preoccupation for every Chinese ruler, and it will only worsen with climate change. China’s worst-known flooding, in 1931, killed over 2 million people.

South China Sea positions (Foreign Policy) The United States has dispatched two aircraft carriers—likely to be backed by British support—to the South China Sea, increasing the possibility of a regional flash point. It has also declared its formal alignment against China’s disputed claims for the first time, saying that it would use “all tools” to oppose them. In the last decade, China has made significant gains in the South China Sea, building a formidable infrastructure of artificial islands to act as bases while strengthening its naval militia. It is also increasingly aggressive in challenging rival claimants, including stalking Vietnamese oil ships and clashing with fishing boats. The U.S. move is long overdue, but it’s also risky: Xi stakes considerable credibility on the South China Sea claims, and there’s no likelihood of Beijing backing down. The pressure on Chinese officials and military personnel to demonstrate their nationalist enthusiasm is growing, increasing the chance of serious conflict similar to the deadly clash on the Indian border.

Trump signs Hong Kong sanctions law (Foreign Policy) On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump continued a week of moves against China by signing a new law that imposes sanctions on Chinese banks doing business with Chinese officials involved with new national security laws in Hong Kong. The president also signed an executive order, largely mirroring existing policy, that revokes the special treatment Hong Kong had received from the United States under the “One Country, Two Systems” doctrine.

Red alert in Tokyo (Reuters) Tokyo raised its coronavirus alert to the highest “red” level on Wednesday, alarmed by a recent spike in daily new cases to record highs, with Governor Yuriko Koike describing the situation in the Japanese capital as “rather severe”. The resurgence of the virus could add to the growing pressure on policymakers to shore up the world’s No. 3 economy, which analysts say is set to shrink at its fastest pace in decades this fiscal year due to the pandemic. “We are in a situation where we should issue warnings to citizens and businesses,” Koike told a press conference, urging residents to refrain from unnecessary travel.

Lebanon looks to China as US, Arabs refuse to help in crisis (AP) Facing a worsening economic crisis and with little chance of Western or oil-rich Arab countries providing assistance without substantial reforms, Lebanon’s cash-strapped government is looking east, hoping to secure investments from China that could bring relief. But help from Beijing risks alienating the United States, which has suggested such a move could come at the cost of Lebanese-U.S. ties. A tiny nation of 5 million on a strategic Mediterranean crossroads between Asia and Europe, Lebanon has long been a site where rivalries between Iran and Saudi Arabia have played out. Now, it’s becoming a focus of escalating tensions between China and the West. In recent months, the Lebanese pound has lost around 80% of its value against the dollar, prices have soared uncontrollably, and much of its middle class has been plunged into poverty. Talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout have faltered, and international donors have refused to unlock $11 billion pledged in 2018, pending major economic reforms and anti-corruption measures. Left with few choices, Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government—supported by the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies—is seeking help from China.

[visaandmigration]

Understand the eligibility of ILR

Recently, the long residency route (10 years of legal residence) to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) has gained more attention than normal, partially because of the number of refusals that the Home Office has given to hopefuls applying under this path. It would seem that this is due to a clear misconception of what constitutes a continuous residence period in the UK – the basic component of an application under the long-stay regulations. No less critical understands how to break the continuous-time. 

Anyone who wishes to apply for ILR on various visas after having been in the UK for 10 years would logically consider applying under the long residency route. However, anyone considering this option must ensure that they have never spent more than 6 months outside the United Kingdom, or a total of 18 months outside the United Kingdom over the entire 10-year continuous period. Since the Home Office describes a month as 30 days, this will translate into no more than 180 days at any given time or no more than 540 days over the 10 years. This is fairly conservative and does not permit extended absences.

There are some requirements which one need to meet to apply for Long Residence ILR :

To make a good application for indefinite leave to stay (ILR) on the ground of 10 years long residency, people would need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that: 

·         They have spent at least 10 years continuously and legally living in the United Kingdom.

·         Their 10-year period of legal residency remains unbroken.

·         There are no arguments for the public interest that it would not be appropriate to give permanent leave to citizens to stay.

·         There is no general justification for why they would deny their application.

·         People have shown enough knowledge of the English language and life in the UK.

Applications for long residence ILR are rendered online, based on 10 years of permanent and lawful long residency. If people want to get a decision on their indefinite leave to stay (ILR) application faster than they can buy additional paid-for services. In the 10-year long-stay group, people may apply for ILR up to 28 days in advance of completing their qualifying period of permanent legal residence.

[renusharma147147-blog]

The Benefits Of UK Citizenship By Investment

In case you genuinely wish to dwell in the UK, you have to have already begun checking out the achievable avenues to achieve the objective. Experts in immigration say that investment is the easiest method to approach it. In this regard, candidates are able to use for the Tier one Entrepreneur Visa or perhaps the Tier one Investor Visa.

Nationals of nations outside of the European Economic Switzerland and Area are eligible to use for these 2 visas. In case approved, the visa enables you to remain in the country for three years. You are able to find an extension after the original time of three years for another two years. On staying five consecutive years in the United Kingdom, you are able to distribute a request for Indefinite Leave to stay (Permanent residence or ilr).

There are many advantages of UK citizenship by investment and also we've mentioned some of them below.

Monetary Thresholds

The Tier one Entrepreneur and Investor Visa each have a variety of monetary thresholds. For the business owner visa, the candidate should have permission to access £200,000 investment funds. Nevertheless, there's a provision for £50k. This's an advantageous choice since it entails a reduced investment level. To add, there's a provision of developing an entrepreneurial team comprising 2 applicants. In this particular plan, the candidates are able to make plans for the investment money by every contributing £100,000.

The Investor Visa is created for the high net really worth individuals. It takes a minimum of £1,000,000 disposable money to purchase UK businesses. If the cash is loaned, there's an extra requirement of £2,000,000 in private assets. The benefit of this strategy will be the potential to attain a fast track UK citizenship. Based on the purchase amount, wait time for irreversible settlement is reduced. If the candidate invests £5million, he is able to get long lasting settlement within three years while if the expenditure length is £10 million, the candidate is able to use for UK citizenship within two years.

Absolutely no offer of employment required

Both the Tier one Investor and Entreprenuer visa allows the candidate or even immigrant to have a brand new businesses within the United Kingdom or invest in an already current it. In case you immigrate to the nation for work, you are going to need to get a work permit from the sponsor. The UK citizenship by expense scheme dispenses with the demand for an offer of work and thereby eases the procedure of using for permanent settlement in the long term.

Straightforward Qualification

Aside from the investment criteria, there's something a lot with regards to qualifying for the Tier one investor visa as well as entrepreneur visa. The candidate is expected to show his English proficiency skills, demonstrate the power of his to allow for the stay of his in UK and also go through a wellness check to eliminate the existence of any really serious illness. There's an age criterion also. Almost all this, count on the test is waived off for the investor visa.

Permission to Take the household Along

While applying to get an individual visa, the candidate also can use for the visas of the dependants of his, his kids and spouse below eighteen years. The dependants are automatically provided in the Investor visa pattern. In reality, they like health, career and education opportunities as just every other British citizen.

More Absentee days

In case you would like to qualify for UK citizenship by purchase, the absentee time shouldn't exceed 450 times during the five year period. It must be just ninety days in the twelve weeks preceding the application for citizenship. The absentee period is good enough for anybody who has to manage company in many countries.

Find More Information: Citizenship program

[lexlawuk]

10 Year Long Residence: Home Office Update

The Home Office’s recent update on the immigration rules, effective from 11 April 2024, brought confusion regarding the calculation of absences under the 10 year long residence route. Initially, the new rules seemed to suggest that the previous 548-day limit on absences was no longer applicable for applications submitted after April 2024. This ambiguity led to a widespread misunderstanding and…

[intimeimmigration]

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application can be made if you have been living legally in the UK for 10 or more continuous years. When assessing the application under this category, you must ensure that -

There has not been any breach of immigration rules during those continuous 10-year stay.

You have passed the Life in the UK test.

You have sufficient English language skills.

If you want to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain on a 10-year continuous residence route, then talk to our expert immigration solicitor.

Visit: https://intimeimmigration.co.uk/long-residence-in-the-uk/

 or call us at one of our branches: 

 Chester: Obsidian Offices, Chantry Court, Chester, CH1 4QN 

Tel: 01244 220063 

 Manchester: Pure Offices, Brooks Dr, Cheadle, Manchester, SK8 3TD

Tel: 0161 464 7661 

 Stoke-on-Trent: Trent House, Victoria Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2LW 

Tel: 01244 220063 

[zrvisas]

https://zrvisas.com/10-reasons-to-apply-for-british-citizenship-immediately-after-ilr

10 Good Reasons to Avoid Delay in making of British Citizenship Application after grant of ILR in the UK. Certainly! British Citizenship offers several compelling benefits that might sway your decision after obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Let us highlight some of the advantages:

Immigration rules are no one’s friends: With the changing nature of border controls, the immigration rules can change at any time which may make you ineligible to become a British citizen in the future. Therefore, the earlier you acquire British Citizenship, the better it is for you to have a piece of mind for the rest of your life so far as UK immigration laws are concerned.

Pass on British Citizenship to generations: As a British nationality holder, you can pass on British Citizenship to your children.

Avoid Higher Nationality Application Fees in the future: By applying for the British citizenship, you are shielding yourself from higher Home Office fees for Nationality applications. In addition, avoiding higher fees for immigration solicitors which are surely to rise with the rest of cost of services.

Hassle Free from Renewing BRP Card for ILR: Making an application to renew BRP card will save hassle, time and money for renewing BRP card for your ILR stauts ever. Such applications can take up to 6 months.

Piece of mind- No further UK Immigration Applications ever : Becoming a British Citizen is a last step in your long journey of multiple immigration applications. On becoming British, you will never have to make another UK immigration application.

Passport Power: A British passport is highly regarded globally. It grants you access to consular assistance and protection when abroad.

Voting Rights: As a British citizen, you gain the right to vote in all UK elections. Your voice matters, and participating in the democratic process becomes a privilege.

Access to Government Jobs: British citizenship opens doors to certain government jobs that are exclusively available to citizens. It broadens your career prospects and opportunities.

Travel with Ease: With a British passport, you can travel freely to many countries without the need for visas. It simplifies international travel and provides a sense of security.

Deeper Integration: British Citizenship represents a deeper integration into British society beyond mere residence. It signifies your commitment to the country and its values.

https://zrvisas.com/our-success-rate. ZR Visas is a Top Rated 5 🌟 UK Registered Visa Services Firm, 100% Success Rate in many UK Visas since 2006, 5 🌟 700+ Google & Trustpilot Reviews, 17 Years Experience, UK OISC, 🇬🇧 Registered Visa Firm Reg. F201100207, Clients in 60+ Countries, ⭐️ One Fixed Competitive Fee- No hidden cost. Advice in 5 languages including English,اردو, پنجابی & हिन्दी. 100% Success Rate since 2006 for UK Fiance Visa Applications, Spouse Visa Extension and Switching Visa Applications, British Nationality, ILR, Fee Waiver Applications, Partner and Parent Route (further leave to remain, extend visa in 5 years, 10 years partner visa route), Dependent Children Application to join parent, Sponsor Licence Applications, Applications for Certificate of Sponsorships (Cos), 7 Years Child Residence route, EUSS, Skilled Worker and Dependents Visa Applications. Expert advice for Corporate Immigration Advice Services to UK companies to sponsor migrant workers. Whichever part of the UK & world you live, we can provide visa services.

Success Rate- Visa Approvals from 60+ Countries

https://zrvisas.com/our-success-rate

Customer Reviews

https://zrvisas.com/reviews

Fixed Fees

https://zrvisas.com/fees

Verify Our Registration on Gov.uk

https://zrvisas.com/verify-us-on-gov-uk

We look forward to working together with you soon.

Feel free to contact us, should you need any further assistance. WhatsApp is a TEXT only service.

ZR Visas, UK

OISC Registration No. F201100207

📞 +44 1782 977899

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📧 info@zrvisas.com

🌎 https://zrvisas.com/

#zrvisas

#fiancevisa

#partnervisa

[thinkbizltd]

Four Amazing Ways To Apply For Permanent Residency in The UK

It is simpler to become a permanent resident of the United Kingdom when you relocate there for education, work, or business. Furthermore, being a permanent resident gives you access to all of the UK's fundamental and appealing long-term advantages without having to pay much out of cash, as education, healthcare, and other forms of social security may be costly for an immigrant. In the United Kingdom, PR status is known as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

With a PR, you may remain as long as you like and come and go as you choose. You can even apply for a British passport after a year of PR. The degree of freedom you have by becoming a permanent resident is endless, such as the ability to live in the UK while also visiting your home country.

Here are four amazing ways by which you can become a PR in the United Kingdom:

Those who come to the UK on a student visa and wish to study can seek the long-term residence route, or LR route, which allows you to earn permanent residency in the UK if you stay in the UK for 10 years on any visa. Students should seek employment in their subject of study or passion. Students who work as sponsors can readily apply for public relations positions.

Professionals who come through the Tier 2 method, when they accept a job on a work permit, the day they acquire their work permit is when their five-year period begins, following which they may apply for UK PR directly.

If you're married and came to the UK on an ICT, work permit, or student visa, you'll be the primary applicant, while your spouse or partner will be the dependent. If your kid is born in the United Kingdom, they will be granted a dependant visa but will not be granted British citizenship. However, you can petition for British citizenship for your kid if he or she has been stateless for seven years.

Someone who has lived in the United Kingdom for 14 years is eligible to apply for ILR, or Indefinite Leave to Remain, or permanent residency.

Your PR may be revoked if you have a criminal record that jeopardises their national security or the public's safety. To obtain PR in order to guarantee that you abide by all of the UK's norms and regulations. You may reach out to our professionals for startup visa, global talent visa and innovator visa for the UK.

[legafit]

Requirements of An ILR Long Residence Application

You may qualify for indefinite leave to remain on long residence grounds, if you can demonstrate to the UK visas and Immigration that:-

You have had at least 10 years’ lawful continuous residence in the UK;

Your 10 years’ lawful and continuous residence is unbroken.

You have passed the Life in the UK Test unless you are under the age of 18 or over the age of 65.

You have passed the English language test at Level B1 CEFR unless you are under the age of 18 or over the age of 65.

There are no reasons to suggest that granting you ILR long residence would be undesirable or contrary to public interest.

There are no other reasons for the refusal of your ILR Long residence application under Part 9 of the Immigration rules such as previous criminal convictions.

You have not been in breach of immigration laws, except o for any period of overstaying for 28 days or less which will be disregarded where the period of overstaying ended before 24 November 2016 or where you overstayed on or after 24 November 2016, leave was never the less granted in accordance with paragraph 39E of the immigration rules. Visit Our Website For More Information About ILR Long Residence Application 

[immigrationsolicitors]

how to get British Citizenship

If you are a foreign national who is under 18 years old and was born in the United Kingdom, then British citizenship is automatically passed to you when both your parents are either: 1) British citizens; 2) No longer married to each other if they are different nationalities or 3) one parent is a British citizen and the other remains 'settled' (has indefinite leave to remain/has right of abode). This will be registered as part of your birth registration. For those of age 18+, there is an application process. If one of your parents (or stepparents/grandparents etc.) has been legally adopted along with you and you were at least 6 years old when this happened, then the adoption process has the same result as becoming a citizen through birth. It is important to note that unless both of your parents are British citizens by birth or apply for spouse visa UK, then they cannot register your citizenship for you.

British Citizenship Through Residence

British Citizenship Through Residency If you have been legal "ordinarily resident" in the United Kingdom from when you were 10 years old until the present day, meaning always lived in the UK unless you went away for longer than 2 years at a time, then there is a chance of acquiring citizenship through fiance visa UK so-called 'long residence'. You also need to show that during your residency you have never left the country for more than two consecutive years.

How to apply for British Citizenship?

The good news is that there are many benefits to becoming a British citizen. The most notable of which is being able to live in the United Kingdom permanently and getting full UK rights, visitor visa UK including the right to vote in elections (if you do not already have this right). Further advantages include the ability to travel throughout the European Union (and with certain exceptions also to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) with minimal restriction. You can even gain extra protection when traveling outside of Europe via the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and International Certificate of Vaccination (iCERT). Of course, any children born after your citizenship will also become citizens, but only if they were born in Britain or during an outbound journey from Britain.