LET me be firm and fair about the Home Secretary’s plans on asylum reform. They are not about reforming a broken system but seeking to destroy it. I’ve have the privilege of working for Scottish Refugee Council for over 15 years and have regularly had to work hard to oppose UK Government plans that penalise those seeking protection. These are the worst plans that I have witnessed. They are an unprecedented political attack on the principle of refugee protection and on the UK system that is in place to deal with claims for asylum.
This year we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, the cornerstone of international law and the safety net of rights that allows any of us the right to seek protection in another country if we have a well-founded fear of persecution. It has saved countless lives. But, at the cruel heart of the New Plan for Immigration is the Home Secretary seeking to rule claims of people in need of protection who have travelled through other “safe” countries as “inadmissible”. Instead of confecting a moral crisis, if the Home Secretary truly wishes to overhaul the system, here is our three point plan: Forge a new independent fairer and faster asylum decision-making system – outwith the Home Office – and resettle 10,000 refugees a year and create true and safe legal routes to protection in the UK.
Ensure people seeking asylum have a safe home, enough food and essentials to live, and the right to work, with funding for communities and local authorities. Finally, chart a new vision across the UK to embrace the talents, skills and resilience of refugees to build new futures to all of our benefit.
Gary Christie is head of policy at the Scottish Refugee Council
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