WILPF UK condemns government proposals for asylum seekers and refugees, and urges a rethink to its draconian approach
This month, the government announced yet another major attack on refugee rights. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom UK (WILPF) is horrified at the Home Secretary’s cruel and dehumanising plans which will have life-changing consequences. These are people who have survived war, persecution and unimaginable loss; they arrive in the UK with little or nothing, seeking only safety.
Children, families and many individuals would be excluded from vital support leaving them destitute. People would live unstable and insecure lives, having to prove their need for protection every two and a half years, facing possible deportation and not being settled here for over two decades directly attacking their sense of belonging. People’s rights to be united with their family will be stripped down leaving many isolated from their loved ones.
Revisiting refugee decisions every 30 months will not bring control – only chaos. Conflicts around the world do not end overnight – it takes years before countries are rebuilt, if ever. The asylum system is already struggling with huge backlogs. Adding thousands of repeat reviews every year will overwhelm it further, creating more delays and more stress for people desperate for stability.
If the government truly wants an orderly and fair system, it must take the following action:
- Expand safe, legal routes so people can seek asylum without risking their lives, and trafficking can no longer be profitable.
- Enable asylum seekers to work while they await their decision, reducing welfare costs and facilitating their integration.
- Resource the asylum system properly so that decisions can be made swiftly, to the benefit of those seeking asylum and their families, as well as to the communities in which they are lodged.
Government policies have a simple aim: to frighten and alienate people, to punish them for seeking protection and to appease the far right and their funders. These plans are not driven by common sense or logic – but by racism and fear-mongering. But they do affect real people, who will face real and cruel consequences because of it.
WILPF UK condemns these proposals and urges the government to rethink its approach to asylum seekers and refugees, in accordance with the UK’s historical commitment to international law, justice and compassion. This is not who we are!
