Early this morning, the government’s Illegal Migration Bill passed its final parliamentary stages and will shortly pass into law. Church leaders from JPIT’s denominations have joined with civil society groups and charities in a solidarity statement to mark this moment, and express their concern about the impact the Bill will have on people seeking asylum in the UK. The statement reads:
“We all deserve to live safe from harm. But this senselessly cruel Act will have a devastating impact on people’s lives. It turns our country’s back on people seeking safety, blocking them from protection, support, and justice at a time they need it most.
In abandoning the UK’s moral and legal obligations, the Act risks breaching multiple international human rights treaties including the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights while shielding the Government from accountability. The UK Government has admitted that it cannot confirm if the Act is compatible with the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Act will force people into situations that threaten their lives – whether by placing children in detention or sending people off to countries where their lives might be at grave risk. Moreover, the Act attacks the very core of human rights, which is the principle that we all have them regardless of who we are or where we are from. In stripping the most basic rights from people seeking safety and a better life, the Act dismantles human rights protections for all of us.
Either all of us have human rights, or none of us do. While the UK Government’s plans will harm those seeking safety the most, this is an attack on all of us and the values we hold dear.
The government has rushed through this law despite broad and deep opposition. But our fight is not over. As caring people, we will continue to fight for the right for people to seek safety and a better life without being forced to take dangerous journeys and without being punished for how they enter the UK. We will keep holding those in power to account for upholding the UK’s international obligations. We will strive for an asylum and immigration system that treats everyone with dignity and respect. We will stand in solidarity with and fight alongside everyone who makes the UK their home and build a society that treats everyone with compassion.”
Click here to read the statement with the full list of signatories.
JPIT’s denominations have been outspoken in opposition to the Illegal Migration Bill since it was announced earlier this year. In April, over 1450 church leaders supported a statement that was handed to the Prime Minister, arguing that the Bill would “foster discrimination and distrust” and cause “immeasurable harm”.
The Illegal Migration Act will result in the implementation of plans to make claiming asylum in the UK via irregular routes illegal. It will result in the detention and potential deportation of thousands of people made vulnerable by war and persecution, and create a range of challenges on infrastructure in the UK to house and support people whilst attempts to remove them from the country are made.
Our Churches will continue to advocate for safe and legal routes by which people can claim asylum in the UK, and for policies which treat people with dignity and respect. Many local churches continue to be active in their communities, welcoming refugees and asylum seekers and offering support and care. This is essential work, and bears witness to our Biblical calling to welcome the stranger.
If you’d like to find out more about some of the challenges facing the UK’s asylum system, you can:
Click hear to read our briefing on the UK’s asylum system.
Click here to listen to our episode of 10 Minutes On: The Rwanda Plan.
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