Priti Patel, the UK home secretary, has announced an overhaul of the immigration system which will judge asylum seekers on whether they entered the country illegally or legally.. This intends to create a system based on “fairness’.
Out of the 35,099 asylum claims in the Uk in the past year, more than 8,000 crossed the channel by boat, helped by people smugglers. The home secretary intends to prevent this by creating a system “based on need not the ability to pay people smugglers”. She believes that entering via a safe country, such as France, is simply picking “ a preferred destination”. Patel has pledged to remove those people from the UK, giving them a temporary protection status and limited access to family rights and benefits, as she claims the system is overwhelmed.
Labour shadow home secretary has criticised the move, as he believes that it will make it even more difficult for the victims of human trafficking to seek help in the UK. The Red Cross has also spoken against it, saying it creates a “two-tiered system” which is unfair.
As the Guardian writes, the peak of the asylum seekers entering this country is below half of the peak in 2002. It is also well below the number that many other countries have hosted. Many refugees in the UK have also had to wait over 6 months to receive a decision on their status in the UK.
The plan has been called “inhumane” by many, clearly shown through the harm this will bring to those seeking help. This will prevent those from gaining help who need it, and create a more difficult environment to seek asylum.
Written by Anna Male
Artwork by Zara Masood
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