At Govan Community Project, we stand alongside people seeking safety, dignity and a chance to rebuild their lives in Glasgow. Every day, we see first-hand the courage it takes to navigate the UK asylum system, and we see the true human cost when that system fails people. The key word here is human. Human rights belong to all of us and should never be conditional on immigration status
That is why we are deeply concerned about the UK Government’s new Immigration and Asylum Bill. While Westminster presents the Bill as a way to improve the system, many of its proposals remove even more basic rights and protections for those who are seeking safety. We have seen clear messages with communities mobilising across the country, that these hostile, dehumanising policies do not reflect the views of the majority of the nation.
The proposed move away from established refugee status towards a more temporary and conditional ‘core protection’ model raises serious concerns for our communities. Living in a prolonged state of insecurity doesn’t build inclusive supportive communities – it increases poverty, impacts on the wellbeing of individuals and families and creates division and social exclusion. People who have fled war, violence and persecution deserve safety and certainty in rebuilding their lives. Alongside attacking those still seeking safety, these new proposals create additional insecurity and uncertainty for many of our friends, neighbours and work colleagues who are already settled here.
The Government argues that these changes are required because the asylum system is broken and that the solution in their view is to further remove people’s rights. The well documented reality is that these problems are not caused by those seeking protection but by the evidenced poor quality of initial decision making.
Recent tribunal statistics show that 36% of asylum appeals determined by the courts were successful, and more than 40% of decisions were withdrawn by the Home Office before an appeal was heard – a clear indication that the Home Office itself recognised flaws in many original decisions., demonstrating that many people who are initially denied protection are later found to have been wrongly refused. This raises serious concerns about fairness, accuracy, and access to justice within the system. People seeking asylum should not have to endure months or years of uncertainty, destitution and insecurity while waiting for incorrect decisions to be corrected.
We believe a fair asylum system is one that is based on human rights and dignity and is able to make good decisions first time around, ensuring safety and protection for all who need it and ensuring individuals and families are able to rebuild their lives, and contribute to community life without spending years in limbo in a system which is dehumanising.
We are particularly concerned that the bill is proposing creation of a 2 tier system in which settled refugees will be treated differently to everyone else seeking to build their lives in the UK.
Scotland has a proud tradition of welcoming people seeking sanctuary. In Govan and across Glasgow, we see every day how refugees and people seeking asylum enrich our communities, contribute their skills, build friendships, volunteer, work and create homes. They are our neighbours, classmates, colleagues and friends.
A society should be judged by how it treats those most at risk and in need of protection. We urge the UK Government to work with us all to build an immigration system based on fairness, compassion, equality and respect for human dignity.
We make the following asks:
To our Westminster MP’s – please take the time to scrutinise this bill in detail, with the human impact in the forefront of your mind and do not just tow the party line and to oppose all measures which undermine human rights, reduce access to equality and justice and put vulnerable individuals and families at further risk of harm.
To all of our colleagues, friends and neighbours: We urge everyone in our communities to also contact your MP’s and ask them to oppose this bill. You can use JCWI’s helpful tool for this here: https://jcwi.write.mp/campaigns/stopasylumbill26
Traci Kirkland
Chief Executive