It would be disappointing and dangerous for the UK to take lessons from Italy’s far-right government (Starmer backs plans to explore Italian-style migration deals to limit crossings, 17 November). Agreements aimed at preventing people from reaching a safe country could put refugees at serious risk. Amnesty International says Italy is complicit in the torture of migrants and refugees through its deal with Libya, where appalling conditions and treatment in detention facilities are well known. This type of policy is about keeping people out, not keeping people safe.
Furthermore, Refugee Action research has found that most people travelling to the UK are people of colour from countries affected by British colonial rule and foreign policy. Their exclusion from seeking asylum in the UK through such deals is racial injustice in action.
We need a humane approach to migration. In the wake of the racist and anti-refugee riots this summer, making migration a national security issue and focusing on “terrorist gangs”, as well as upstreaming and deportations, risks further dividing our communities, while doing little to address the root causes of Channel crossings.
Keir Starmer has said “we have got to do everything we can”. This must start with safe routes. The government must make a decisive break with failed deterrence policies, make sure that people seeking asylum are treated with decency, and protect their rights in line with the UK’s legal obligations and international agreements.
Tim Naor Hilton
Chief executive, Refugee Action
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