A CALL FOR SENSE

GULI FRANCIS-DEHQANI

IN the Church, when we assess refugee policies we start from a position of seeing every human being as a child of God, worthy of dignity and recognition.

That doesn’t mean calling for open borders or being naive about those who seek to abuse the system. It means calling for individuals to be treated with compassion and allowing for their case to be heard.

It means calling for legitimate refugees to be offered the help and support they need.

The Government’s Rwanda plan does not do this. There is some misunderstanding about what the plan entails. It does not mean that only failed or fake asylum seekers are sent abroad. Nor does it mean that legitimate refugees are given permission to return here once their case has been heard. It simply dispatches people, regardless of the legitimacy of their case, somewhere else; somewhere they have no desire to go.

There is a narrative that suggests those who seek asylum are all chancers and criminals, economic migrants seeking to cheat the system.

The reality is that as many as 80% of those crossing the Channel ultimately get recognised as legitimate refugees by the Home Office.

We might then ask why so many legitimate refugees risk their lives making a perilous sea crossing, or using illegal smugglers.

The reason is simple – for many, from countries such as Eritrea, Iran, South Sudan or Iraq, there are currently no safe and legal routes, whether they are LGBT+ people facing discrimination, political dissidents or those who have been persecuted because of their religion or race.

The Government responds by saying that critics have produced no alternatives. This is not true.

We have suggested a tapestry of measures that would allow for genuine refugees to arrive by safe and legal routes, while discouraging the dangerous Channel crossings and criminal activity.

At the same time, we do not over-promise, or pretend there are easy solutions and silver bullets.

The causes and drivers of refugee flows are complex and demand well thought through, evidence-based responses. This tawdry Rwanda plan is not that.

The Channel crossings still continue (thousands have arrived since the policy was announced), but in an effort to look tough we have debased ourselves with an unethical policy that will punish and traumatise many legitimate refugees.

We can and must do better.

In an effort to look tough we have debased ourselves with an unethical policy