Refugee Council statement

Comment from Nick Hardwick, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council in response to the ruling won by hauliers challenging the carrier’s liability’s segment of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999:

“The Refugee Council has always maintained that carrier’s sanctions jeopardise asylum seekers’ access to safety.

“The real target should be the ruthless people who profit from human misery through trafficking rather than the innocent carriers who are currently being penalised. But the big issue at stake is providing protection to those desperately fleeing persecution and ensuring they can exercise their legal right to claim asylum.

“Next week, Government ministers have a wonderful opportunity at Laeken in Brussels to explore practical solutions to sharing responsibility across Europe for our duty to protect the tiny percentage of the world’s refugees who seek sanctuary here.”