The legislation will ‘cause misery to refugees, cost millions to taxpayers and drive desperate people to take ever more dangerous journeys as there is no other way for them to claim asylum.’
As Home Office officials mull over forcing migrants to wear ankle tags as a means of preventing those who cannot be housed in limited detention sites from absconding, a campaign is escalating over the government’s anti-refugee laws.
Launched by Refugee Action, an organisation dedicated to helping everyone who has had to flee their home build a safe, happy and productive life in the UK, the Fight the Refugee Ban Bill petition is gaining momentum, having secured almost 12,000 signatures.
Contributions will help Refugee Action fight, what the charity refers to the government’s ‘horrendous Refugee Bill Ban,’ and for a fairer asylum process for all people seeking safety in the UK. Support will also help the organisation offer direct advice and emergency assistance to those who need it the most.
Building on Priti Patel’s 2022 Anti-Refugee Bill, the new laws that are being proposed by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, aim to introduce an outright ban on the right to seek safety in Britain for those arriving from countries outside the government’s limited schemes for Afghans, Ukrainians and people from Hong Kong.
According to Refugee Action, the legislation will ‘cause misery to refugees, cost millions to taxpayers and drive desperate people to take ever more dangerous journeys, as there is no other way for them to claim asylum.’
When the Illegal Migration Bill was introduced by the Home Secretary in March, it attracted widespread criticism, labelled by NGOs, politicians, and human rights groups as the ‘asylum ban’ or ‘refugee ban’ because it prevents people fleeing war and persecution from claiming asylum in the UK and does not include provision for safe alternative routes by which refugees can travel.
The Refugee Council estimates that the Bill will result in as many as 250,000 people – including 45,000 children – being detained or left destitute in state-provided accommodation. The charity also warns that in the first three years of operation, between £8.7bn to £9.6bn will be spent on their detention and accommodation.
Colin Leo, an immigration lawyer, says that the government’s claims that the new legislation will be a deterrent is misguided.
“We are talking about a group of people who may have crossed deserts, put themselves in small boats already, dodged gangs and border guards alike and lived through unimaginable hardships on their journeys. They have sometimes watched friends, family members and fellow travellers die on these journeys. Over 26,000 have drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean since 2014.”
The British Medical Association (BMA) said that ‘the Bill … risks leaving people who are vulnerable, fleeing dangerous situations and who have often experienced trauma, subject to an environment where they are re-traumatised and unable to access the medical attention many desperately need.’
The UNHCR warns that the Bill will amount to an asylum ban because there is no asylum visa or pathways for seeking asylum in the UK. Instead, there must be international cooperation and responsibility sharing when it comes to refugees, most of whom are hosted by low and middle income countries and are not seeking to come to Britain, says the UNHRC.
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward
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