In response to a report published by think-tank Migration Watch UK today into the outcomes of the UK asylum system between 1997-2010, Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:

”What the Migration Watch report fails to point out is that many of the people refused asylum here on a personal basis cannot return to their own countries, such as Iraq and Zimbabwe, because the situation there is still unsafe. These people are left living here in limbo with no right to work and no form of income. A solution would be for the government to allow them to work, to enable them to support themselves, and also to benefit the taxpayer.

”In addition, many of the asylum seekers we work with everyday, people with genuine protection needs, have been let down by the asylum system. While the government has made recent steps to improve the asylum system, the decisions made on asylum cases leave a lot to be desired. Almost a third of negative decisions are overturned at appeal, showing that in many cases, people are being wrongly refused asylum and face the threat of being returned to countries where their lives are at risk.

”These are not economic migrants coming here for a better life. They are people who have fled horrifying experiences in their own countries and are seeking safety here, as is their right. The government must now uphold its commitment to protecting them.”

ENDS