It’s been a busy week for asylum-seeker bashing. Had it not been for the forensic scrutiny of the deputy prime minister’s tax affairs, the onslaught against people seeking sanctuary would have been even more intense.
Monday’s bombshell was an announcement from the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, about the suspension of refugee family reunion until next spring. Until now, for families who have been through hell due to war and conflict in their home country, the prospect of finally being reunited in a safe country after one member has been granted refugee status has kept them going. That hope has been snatched away, as the government officially stopped taking applications for the programme on Thursday at 3pm.
