Letter to UK home secretary demands ‘kind’ system for asylum seekers

LONDON (AA) – More than 100 charities supporting refugees have written an open letter to British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, demanding a “kind and effective system” for asylum seekers in the UK.

Recalling Braverman’s comments that it was her “dream” and “obsession” to see a plane full of migrants taking off to Rwanda and that the only way to get to the country is a “safe and legal route,” the letter pointed out the hardship to follow a legal route for refugees.

“Home Secretary, when you talk of ‘safe and legal routes’, you must be aware that it is impossible to ask refugees to come exclusively through such a path when even Afghan interpreters who are eligible for one of our few existing schemes remain in hiding from the Taliban,” the letter said.

“When you talk of ‘illegal migrants’, you must be aware that the top nationalities of people making dangerous journeys include Afghanistan, Eritrea and Syria, and that at least 97% of asylum claims made by people from these countries are successful,” it added.

The letter was signed by such groups as Freedom from Torture, Refugee Action, Refugee Council, Scottish Refugee Council, Safe Passage and Save the Children. It was coordinated by charity IMIX and coalition campaign Together With Refugees.

‘Willing to work’ 

“And when you complain about the cost of housing asylum seekers, you must be aware that, while people seeking safety did not choose to leave their homelands, they are willing to work and keen to contribute, if only the law permitted them,” the letter said.

The letter continued: “You have referred to this country’s proud history of offering sanctuary, so we ask you to make this happen with a fair, kind and effective system for refugees.

“Deal with the backlog in asylum cases, create safe routes, respect international law, and the UN convention on refugees, and give refugees a fair hearing, however they get here. Then you would have really done something worth dreaming about.”

The letter came hours after a man hurled petrol bombs at a new UK Border Force immigration center in Dover on Sunday.

A man, who is thought to be a British citizen, was later found dead by the police.

“Officers established that two to three incendiary devices had been thrown outside and into the premises by a single suspect who arrived at the scene in a car,” a statement from Kent Police said.

Around 700 migrants were later relocated at Manston center for safety, police added.