In response to Michael Howard’s speech on immigration and asylum today Maeve Sherlock, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:

“These proposals quite clearly will not offer refugees a safe haven in the UK.

We need separate systems for refugees and for people coming here to work. An arbitrary limit on all immigration, including refugees, would put lives at risk and would damage our economy.

The 1951 UN Refugee Convention saves millions of lives every year—just imagine what would happen to the people of Darfur in Sudan if we didn’t have the Convention. It is an essential global safety net that is reliant on the commitment of all countries for it to work.

Every year, the Conservatives come up with another set of unworkable proposals that fail to contribute to or move the asylum debate on in any constructive way. We look forward to seeing genuine proposals that address the needs of refugees and promote good race relations in this country.”

Ends

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