Refugee groups have said the policy is "divisive and scapegoating" and will trap people fleeing war in "a state of insecurity and fear"
Refugees and charities that support refugees have slammed the government’s decision to make refugee status temporary, saying that the policy throws “human rights under the bus”.
On Monday, the government announced that refugee status will now be temporary and subject to review every 30 months for all adults claiming asylum.
This means that if a person is granted refugee status, their designation as a refugee will be reassessed every two and a half years. If their home country is then deemed to be “safe”, they would be asked to return home or deported.
Yavuz (not his real name), who came to the UK as an asylum seeker but now has settled status and works for migrant charity Praxis, told Left Foot Forward: “People are fleeing from war and conflict, persecution and ill-treatment, these are not things that can change in 30 months.”
Yavuz added: “I don’t think the Home Office will have the capacity to understand if things are safe or not in different countries, which may actually result in misjudgements and people may be sent back prematurely and to the fear and horror of what’s happening in their home country.”
Highlighting the backlog of over 64,000 cases at the Home Office, Yavuz added: “they are creating something that they don’t have capacity to review every 30 months”.
He also criticised Labour’s decision to require refugees to wait 20 years to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
He said that people fleeing war and persecution are “looking for stability and safety”, and that by requiring refugees to wait 20 years to settle “this is literally telling people you don’t deserve to live here, you don’t deserve to live a good life”.
Yavuz said that this will also negatively affect refugees’ ability to integrate and feel a sense of belonging in the UK.
Minnie Rahman, CEO of Praxis, said: “Scrapping permanent status will trap refugees in a state of insecurity and fear. Doing so says some people deserve fewer rights – and that inequality is lawful. This is inhumane cruelty.
“If the Government wants to foster cohesion and cut poverty, people need to be able to settle here simply, quickly and affordably. Allowing people to have secure futures enables them to reach their full potential, benefitting everyone – not just refugees.”
In a statement, Women for Refugee Women said they were “deeply alarmed” by the government’s decision. A spokesperson for the charity said: “For the women we support – many of whom have survived war, rape and trafficking – repeated reviews create a climate of permanent fear and insecurity.”
They added: “Already we know from Denmark – where this policy is borrowed from – women will be disproportionately harmed, particularly single mothers, trapping them and their children in cycles of poverty and harm. This is a shameful approach for a Government committed to tackling violence against women and girls.”
The charity said: “This divisive and scapegoating policy is designed to make the Government look ‘tough’ on immigration, but it is real people’s lives at stake. We urge the Government to uphold a system that provides genuine protection for those seeking safety in the UK – not institutionalise insecurity for those who have already endured profound harm.”
Yazan Miri, a spokesperson for the Joint Council of the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said: “As many countries around the world make amendments to their asylum legislations to provide protection to more people at risk including those fleeing climate violence and environmental disasters, this government decides to throw human rights under the bus and make the UK a backward-moving country.
Miri added that “The government’s designation of a “safe country” is inadequate and lacks the comprehensive assessment of the risks for people seeking safety”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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