The UN’s refugee agency has rejected Suella Braverman’s comments saying that the current asylum system is no longer fit for purpose.
The home secretary has been met with a furious backlash over the “nasty” remarks in a speech on Tuesday in Washington DC in which she claimed fears of discrimination for being gay or a woman are not enough to claim asylum.
Ms Braverman said “simply being gay, or a woman” should by itself not be enough to gain protection under international refugee laws and said the “outdated” system used by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should be modernised.
The UNHCR, however, rejected her calls for the rules to be “tightened” and said the 1951 Refugee Convention “remains a life-saving instrument”.
“The need is not for reform or more restrictive interpretation but for stronger and more consistent application of the convention and its underlying principle of responsibility-sharing,” UNHCR said in a statement.
“Where individuals are at risk of persecution on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, it is crucial that they are able to seek safety and protection,” it said.
“An appropriate response to the increase in arrivals and to the UK’s current asylum backlog would include strengthening and expediting decision-making procedures.
“This would accelerate the integration of those found to be refugees and facilitate the swift return of those who have no legal basis to stay.
“UNHCR has presented the UK government with concrete and actionable proposals in this regard and continues to support constructive, ongoing efforts to clear the current asylum backlog.”
LGBT+ and human-rights campaigners dubbed Ms Braverman a “dangerous fool”, while Conservative moderates and opposition parties have accused her of pushing “dog whistle” politics to boost her leadership credentials with the Tory right.
Ms Braverman called on world leaders to make major changes to the UN Refugee Convention, arguing it had become far too generous to migrants, in an address for right-wing think-tank American Enterprise Institute.
Her comments were also criticised by other UK charities. ActionAid UK said her comments were “a direct affront to gender equality and human rights”.
“The Refugee Convention is a cornerstone of the international legal system and we need to call out this assault on the convention for what it is: a display of cynicism and xenophobia,” said Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK.
The UNHCR said the 1951 Refugee Convention “remains as relevant today as when it was adopted in providing an indispensable framework for addressing those challenges, based on international co-operation”.
