‘Immigration bill ignores the fact that seeking asylum is a human right’

More than 30 signatories are urging the Government to “stop punishing people for seeking safety” amid fears about the implications of new immigration proposals.

The Nationality and Borders Bill, which will make knowingly arriving in the UK without permission a criminal offence, passed its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening.

The news was met with disappointment by Bristol City of Sanctuary bosses, who warn the Government’s proposals go against the UN Refugee Convention and ignore the fact that seeking asylum is a human right.

Mayor Marvin Rees, who signed the letter urging Downing Street to rethink, said he was dismayed at the national approach to immigration that is “out of line” with the city’s approach and is “without compassion”.

Home secretary Priti Patel claims the plan will increase the fairness of the system in order to better protect and support those in genuine need of asylum.

She said: “It will deter illegal entry into the UK, and importantly break the business model of people smuggling gangs and protecting the lives of those they endanger.”

Patel claims “the British people have had enough of open borders and uncontrolled migration.”

Responding to the bill passing its second reading, Rees said: “I’m dismayed by the national approach to immigration. I think it’s without compassion. I think it’s low on values. I heard the language this morning about people being ‘fed up’ – you know, those are leaders speaking a worldview into people’s lives. Leaders shouldn’t use that language, it’s the language of the culture war.

“I’m dismayed by it and it’s not in line with our approach as a city of sanctuary.”

Under the proposals, people claiming asylum or human rights protections will be required to “provide relevant information relating to being a victim of slavery or human trafficking within a specified period”.

“We are very afraid of this new bill and what it will mean for people seeking sanctuary here”, said Anna Wardell, interim manager of Bristol City of Sanctuary said.

“It goes against the UN Refugee Convention and will only harm the very people the convention is meant to protect.

“We are really disappointed that the bill has progressed to the next stage. The bill ignores the fact that seeking asylum is a human right. It ignores our shared humanity, that people seeking sanctuary are people too.

“We urge the Government to stop punishing people for seeking safety in the UK and to instead use compassion and empathy to create a fairer system. Despite the bill progressing, we will continue to work with the people of Bristol and beyond to stand up for sanctuary.”

As well as criminalising people, the bill will create a two-tier system, where people seeking sanctuary are treated differently depending on how they arrived in the UK. Opponents fear this allows for the possibility that people in this group will have limited family reunion rights and limited access to financial support, leaving thousands at risk of poverty, with negative implications for mental health.

Jo Benefield from Bristol Defend the Asylum Seekers Campaign said: “The problem is, there is little other option for people to seek asylum in the UK.

“People are forced to take these dangerous journeys because the Government does not provide any other option. To think that they would then be punished for having made that journey is truly disturbing.”

The bill also introduces the possibility of offshore processing. If enacted, people could be held in third-party locations whilst their asylum claim is being processed.

Speaking of these proposals, Benefield added: “We have seen this model in Australia, and it is not something that any country should want to replicate. People spend years trapped in unspeakable conditions, with vast human rights violations being recorded. Offshore processing is an inhumane and dangerous way to treat our fellow human beings and we wholly condemn it.”

Main photo courtesy of Micro Rainbow

Read more: Rugby player threatened with deportation wins five-year battle with Home Office