Yesterday the Government laid new immigration rules that will prevent people from making an asylum claim in the UK if they have passed through a safe third country.
From 1st January, the new rules will mean that the Home Office may not have to assess a person’s asylum claim if they have travelled through, or have a connection to, what is deemed a safe third country. The new rules also give the Home Office the power to remove people seeking asylum to a safe country that agrees to receive them, even if they have never been there or have any connections to it.
Responding to the changes, the Refugee Council’s Chief Executive Enver Solomon said:
“For decades the UK has provided a safe home to some of the world’s most vulnerable people who have settled in our neighbourhoods and made a great contribution in our workplaces and our communities. We must uphold this tradition by giving those fleeing persecution and war a fair and just hearing no matter how they have reached our shores.
At a time when record numbers of people across the world are being forced to leave their homes, we should show compassion rather than seeking to slam our door in their face.”
