Bill takes wrecking ball to principle of asylum

I WOULD like to draw attention to the “New plan for immigration” put forward by Priti Patel.

She claims that it will bring to an end the act of smuggling people into the UK by unscrupulous people.

Her plan is for a two tier system

where those who come by Home Office approved safe routes will be granted settled status immediately, while those who arrive by so-called “illegal routes” will never be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain status.

This will be true even if their asylum claims are upheld.

They will remain subject to the same risk of deportation as those of the Windrush generation.

According to the Geneva Convention the route by which refugees arrive is irrelevant and there is no obligation for them to claim sanctuary in the first safe country they reach.

There are very few safe routes to safety and as long as people are in terror they will attempt to escape torture and death by whatever means available.

Britain used to have an admired tradition of taking in refugees from the Huguenots onwards (including Prince Philip) but as Refugee Action has stated this bill “takes a wrecking ball to the principle of asylum.”

I therefore urge readers to sign the petition found at campaigns@ freedomfromtorture.org

Marina Marvan