Govt. policy to leave thousands homeless and hungry
michael c | 12.12.2002 17:32
Thousands of vulnerable people - including pregnant women and children - could find themselves hungry and homeless following eleventh-hour amendments to legislation affecting those who claim asylum beyond their port of entry, the UK's leading charity dealing with asylum seekers has warned.
What is more, the Refugee Council states, this openly flouts international law - recognised by the UK Government and which allows for the clandestine arrival of people seeking asylum, as many would be prevented from fleeing their countries if they made themselves known to their authorities.
"We are appalled by these new measures which will throw thousands of asylum seekers into destitution and add to the chaos in the asylum system", said Fazil Kawani, Communications Director of the Refugee Council, responding to the huge implications of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
"Although the Government has said families and individuals with special needs will be exempt, the reality is that in the harshest winter month, they will be out on the streets while they wait to get the documents from the Home Office which will entitle them to accommodation. It is a completely unacceptable way to treat refugees who may be fleeing for their lives after traumatic persecution."
People without any means of food and shelter could include:
pregnant women will not be entitled to support until after their babies are born;
people with disabilities or special needs will have to wait for an assessment from their local authority, which typically takes at least six weeks before support is granted;
families with children could be without shelter overnight, or longer,while the Home Office consider their case for support;
teenage children who arrive without parents and claim they are under 18, but are not believed by the Home Office (termed 'age dispute' cases) could be denied support (this group is comprised of people aged 15 upwards).
The Refugee Council believes these measures will result in a worse chaos than a similar decision made by the previous Government in 1996, which the 1999 legislation was partly designed to rectify. At that time, the Refugee Council, other agencies, and faith groups had to set up emergency soup kitchens and night shelters to deal with the number of people sleeping rough, and left destitute.
In effect, the majority of in-country asylum seekers will not be entitled to state support, regardless of whether they are destitute. According to 2001 figures 64.7% of asylum applicants or 46,387 applied in-country. In the same year 65% of in-country applicants were granted protection by the same Home Office now threatening to withdraw support from this group of people.
Notes to editors:
The amendments refer to Section 55 and 57 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and come into force on 8th January 2003.
In - country applications are applications by an asylum seeker not made on arrival to an immigration officer at the port of entry.
Current Refugee Council figures show 42.4% of Refugee Council clients apply for asylum within 2 days of entering the UK and 68% of all clients apply within 10 days of entering the UK.
Ends
Read the Refugee Council's briefing on the withdrawal of support from in-country applicants:
Source:
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/dec2002/relea094.htm
Further online resources:
1) www.asylumsupport.info Newsletter signup
1000+ subscribers in September 2002
http://www.asylumsupport.info/newsletter.htm
2) News, continuously updated 24 hours a day, every day
http://www.asylumsupport.info/news.htm
3) Clandestines - Life and Death at Dover and elsewhere
http://www.clandestines.info
4) Immigration Watch uk immigration hype monitor
http://www.immigrationwatch.info
5) Child Segregation and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child http://www.segregation.org.uk
6) European Convention on Human Rights - in community languages http://www.echr.info
7) International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights
http://www.iccpr.info
8) International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights http://www.icescr.info
9) Joint Committee on Human Rights
Includes reports on Asylum, Immigration and Nationality
http://www.jchr.info
9.1 A United Kingdom Human Rights Commission?
http://www.ukhrc.info
10) Universal Declaration on Human Rights - in 300+ languages http://www.udhr.info
11) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
http://www.uncrc.info
More: http://www.asylumsupport.info/about.htm
Contact details:
Frank Corrigan
27 Old Gloucester Street Bloomsbury London WC1N 3XX UK
frank.corrigan@asylumsupport.info
"We are appalled by these new measures which will throw thousands of asylum seekers into destitution and add to the chaos in the asylum system", said Fazil Kawani, Communications Director of the Refugee Council, responding to the huge implications of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
"Although the Government has said families and individuals with special needs will be exempt, the reality is that in the harshest winter month, they will be out on the streets while they wait to get the documents from the Home Office which will entitle them to accommodation. It is a completely unacceptable way to treat refugees who may be fleeing for their lives after traumatic persecution."
People without any means of food and shelter could include:
pregnant women will not be entitled to support until after their babies are born;
people with disabilities or special needs will have to wait for an assessment from their local authority, which typically takes at least six weeks before support is granted;
families with children could be without shelter overnight, or longer,while the Home Office consider their case for support;
teenage children who arrive without parents and claim they are under 18, but are not believed by the Home Office (termed 'age dispute' cases) could be denied support (this group is comprised of people aged 15 upwards).
The Refugee Council believes these measures will result in a worse chaos than a similar decision made by the previous Government in 1996, which the 1999 legislation was partly designed to rectify. At that time, the Refugee Council, other agencies, and faith groups had to set up emergency soup kitchens and night shelters to deal with the number of people sleeping rough, and left destitute.
In effect, the majority of in-country asylum seekers will not be entitled to state support, regardless of whether they are destitute. According to 2001 figures 64.7% of asylum applicants or 46,387 applied in-country. In the same year 65% of in-country applicants were granted protection by the same Home Office now threatening to withdraw support from this group of people.
Notes to editors:
The amendments refer to Section 55 and 57 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and come into force on 8th January 2003.
In - country applications are applications by an asylum seeker not made on arrival to an immigration officer at the port of entry.
Current Refugee Council figures show 42.4% of Refugee Council clients apply for asylum within 2 days of entering the UK and 68% of all clients apply within 10 days of entering the UK.
Ends
Read the Refugee Council's briefing on the withdrawal of support from in-country applicants:
Source:
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/dec2002/relea094.htm Further online resources:
1) www.asylumsupport.info Newsletter signup
1000+ subscribers in September 2002
http://www.asylumsupport.info/newsletter.htm 2) News, continuously updated 24 hours a day, every day
http://www.asylumsupport.info/news.htm 3) Clandestines - Life and Death at Dover and elsewhere
http://www.clandestines.info 4) Immigration Watch uk immigration hype monitor
http://www.immigrationwatch.info 5) Child Segregation and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
http://www.segregation.org.uk 6) European Convention on Human Rights - in community languages
http://www.echr.info 7) International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights
http://www.iccpr.info 8) International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
http://www.icescr.info 9) Joint Committee on Human Rights
Includes reports on Asylum, Immigration and Nationality
http://www.jchr.info 9.1 A United Kingdom Human Rights Commission?
http://www.ukhrc.info 10) Universal Declaration on Human Rights - in 300+ languages
http://www.udhr.info 11) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
http://www.uncrc.info More:
http://www.asylumsupport.info/about.htm Contact details:
Frank Corrigan
27 Old Gloucester Street Bloomsbury London WC1N 3XX UK
frank.corrigan@asylumsupport.info
michael c
e-mail:
revolting_reality@yahoo.co.uk