Asylum seekers and refugees in Newcastle have condemned the Government’s latest attempts to crack down on small boats crossing the Channel.
Rishi Sunak said this week that migrants arriving in the UK illegally will be removed “within weeks” as proposals were unveiled that would also permanently ban them from re-entering the country or gaining citizenship. The Prime Minister claimed that the controversial Illegal Migration Bill was “necessary and fair”, but it has come in for severe criticism from refugee groups.
One refugee, who has lived in Newcastle for the last nine months, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that coming to the UK by boat can feel like the “only safe route” for some desperate asylum seekers fleeing war and persecution. Fatma, who is now a campaigner with the West End Refugee Service (WERS), said: “They are putting themselves in these dangerous circumstances because that is their only choice.
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“No human is illegal. I have spoken to a lot of people who have come by boat and I have heard the miserable stories, but it is the only way for them. I don’t know what would happen to them otherwise. The Government needs to have a good system for people who come here – and it is people’s right to seek asylum in a safe place.”
Fatma, whose full name cannot be published for safety reasons, added that the UK’s asylum policies will “cost the taxpayer more”.
The Bill allows migrants to be detained without bail or judicial review for 28 days, with the intention that they will be removed within that time – sending them either back to their own country or a “safe” third country like Rwanda. Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed the plan was the “only way to prevent people risking their lives and paying criminals thousands of pounds to get here”.
She added: “The British people rightly expect us to solve this crisis and that’s what myself and the Prime Minister fully intend to do. We must stop the boats. It is completely unfair that people who travel through a string of safe countries then come to the UK illegally and abuse our asylum laws to avoid removal.
“It has to stop. By bringing in new laws, I am making it absolutely clear that the only route to the UK is a safe and legal route. If you come here illegally, you won’t be able to claim asylum or build a life here.”
But the UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it is “profoundly concerned” by the Bill, while Amnesty International warned there was “nothing fair, humane or even practical in this plan”.
Aung Kyaw Phyo, known as Bushee, came to the UK from Myanmar legally as a student but was forced to stay and seek asylum following the military coup in his country. The 29-year-old, who is staying in Newcastle while awaiting an appeal hearing after his asylum claim was rejected, said: “Everyone has their own story and their own struggles and we should listen to those. We need to ask them why they are here, it needs to be proper process rather than just kicking them out.
“I want everyone to have the chance to fight to be here and talk about their situation. I didn’t know anything about this before, but now I know what asylum seekers go through – I was a spoiled kid before, but now I have nothing. I don’t want to see other people going through that.”
Sadia, another asylum seeker campaigning with the WERS group, insisted that the Government “can provide a safe route here” for all asylum seekers in the same way it has sought to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine. She added: “That would stop the problems with smuggling too. Nobody puts themselves in that kind of danger [from small boat crossings] unless the place they are in is not safe for them.”
Last week, the WERS campaigners celebrated as Newcastle City Council pledged to join them in the battle against the Government’s refugee policies. The council passed a motion last week condemning “‘anti-refugee’ laws that undermine internationally recognised rights for people fleeing war and persecution to seek safety”.
Coun Lesley Storey, the authority’s cabinet member for vibrant city, said: “As a City of Sanctuary, Newcastle has a proud record of helping people to a fresh start in our city where they are supported to live long, happy lives. We should be creating a better and more inclusive refugee system, not making it harder for people to flee warzones and persecution.”
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