فاتورة الجنسية والحدود

During a holy and meaningful time for followers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, it is very challenging and disturbing to see plans announced today which would see those arriving in the UK in search of safety removed to Rwanda. The plans do not respect the dignity or wellbeing of those seeking asylum. They deny our responsibility to welcome those seeking sanctuary, and are the antithesis of the recommendations we made in the consultation process around the New Plan for Immigration. REUK’s Youth Advocacy group have called the plans ‘inhumane’, and our Youth Advisory Board have expressed their concern about differential treatment of refugees from Europe elsewhere. 

​

The proposals also distinguish between single men and ‘genuine women and child refugees’. This is deeply wrong and misrepresents the reality of forced migration. Refugees are refugees because of what they have experienced, not because of their gender, age or method of arrival. We have worked with many young male refugees who have travelled to the UK as asylum seekers to join family members who have already sought safety here. By sending these young men to Rwanda, the plans put a wedge between refugees, their families here and their families at home. They drastically reduce the likelihood of family reunification, which is and must always be a central feature of refugee protection.

​

Over the past ten years we have met hundreds of refugees who have fled for their lives but filled ours with happiness and hope. These plans reject those experiences and journeys, and so we reject them wholeheartedly. We stand in solidarity with every young refugee whose lived experience is denied by these plans. Now, we are focused on supporting young people as they process this news. We are also working with our organisational partners in the Together with Refugees coalition on a coordinated sector response. We recommend writing to your MP to oppose these plans as soon as you can, especially as the Nationality and Borders Bill is still moving through parliament. Our friends at JCWI have also put together this resource which collates in-person demonstrations across the country. We hope to see you there.