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Sepideh Sahar and Angela McLeary write: “We want the government to end this cruel anti-refugee program and rebuild a welcoming and compassionate asylum system.”
We know what it’s like to suddenly have to leave your home against your will. Of going to a new country and trying to rebuild your life.
And we know that the UK government’s cruel “cash for humans” deal with Rwanda (a political arrangement to send asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda to have their claims processed there (editor’s note) will not prevent people from undertaking dangerous journeys to find safety in the United Kingdom.
We are part of a group of people with lived experience of the UK immigration and asylum system – some of us are torture survivors, others refugees, and still others are on waiting list and still trying to find safety.
But we all had lives, families, roles and respect in our home countries, and we can tell you that people seeking safety deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
The horrible reality of the government’s plan is that flying planes to Rwanda means sending people thousands of miles away – people who have fled the worst horrors – to a country that is not safe for them.
Before the planes even take off, this policy inflicts profound psychological harm on our community – knowing that at any moment, people like us could be sent to a country known for its serious human rights violations.
Do you know what it means to feel safe?
There is a real difference between escaping persecution and feeling safe. Feeling safe is a prerequisite for being truly safe, as it allows you to rebuild your life, move on from traumatic experiences, and recover. But this policy makes things much more difficult.
And it’s not just the fear of being sent to Rwanda that can have such a devastating impact, but the uncertain wait that comes with it.
People who have received a “notice of intent” to return them to Rwanda have no idea what will happen to them, or when it will happen. This creates a feeling of uncertainty that jeopardizes people’s well-being and causes irreversible damage.
We know how difficult it is to live like this. It is almost impossible to recover or rebuild your life.
We have followed with horror the progress of the British Government’s deal with Rwanda.
This policy punishes people who had no choice but to risk their lives to reach safety in the UK.
Instead of sending refugees on one-way trips to Rwanda – or any other so-called “safe” country – the UK should lead the way on refugee protection.
How can we put people at serious risk?
The UK has a long history of welcoming people in need. But this legislation makes a mockery of the 1951 refugee convention, created in the aftermath of the Second World War. This convention, which the UK helped to draft, has helped save many lives since then.
By refusing to respect the international obligations to which we are signatories, we are weakening strong protections.
And we are starting a dangerous trend of failing to take responsibility for people who desperately need our protection and just want to live safely.
It is truly worrying to see the UK and other countries moving away from protection-focused policies towards deterrence and outsourcing.
Members of the House of Lords continued to defend the rights of refugees by voting on key amendments to the bill, including insisting that it must comply with international and domestic human rights law. a man for whom the United Kingdom is internationally renowned.
ADVERTISEMENTFor those of us who have fled dangerous countries, it was this tradition of protecting human rights that gave us hope when we arrived here.
From the beginning, we have known that Rwandan policies would endanger people like us.
Just a few months ago, the Supreme Court unanimously concluded that Rwanda was not a safe country due to the risk that refugees from the UK relocated there would be sent to another country where they would suffer persecution or human rights violations.
Since then, UNHCR has repeatedly warned that Rwanda does not have the services or infrastructure needed to properly process asylum applications.
Even if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wishes it, recent credible reports of torture and ill-treatment in Rwanda and what they tell us about Rwanda’s lack of respect for international human rights law , simply cannot be ignored.
ADVERTISEMENTThe simple fact that Rwandans are granted refugee status confirms that Rwanda is not a safe country.
We need a welcoming and compassionate system, not an immoral one
It is immoral that people who are simply seeking safety risk further harm if sent to Rwanda.
People need to understand that almost everyone who arrives on our shores seeking sanctuary risks being sent there.
Even the most vulnerable people are considered likely to be sent to Rwanda – survivors of torture, victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, and families with children.
People whose applications for protection are not accepted in Rwanda will still not be allowed to return to the UK.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Prime Minister may be confident enough to bet on a plane taking off for Rwanda before the next election, but we will not stop fighting this bill.
Refugees like us have been at the forefront of campaigns urging politicians to change direction and advocate for fairer and more compassionate alternatives.
We call on all MPs to draw a line under this inhumane and costly deal and leave it behind. Instead of developing policies that defy our legal and moral duties, the Government must instead focus on restoring access to protection in the UK and strengthening the global refugee protection system, in accordance with the law international.
Alongside caring people across the country, we want the government to end this cruel anti-refugee program and rebuild a welcoming and compassionate asylum system.
We must ensure people fleeing horrors like war, torture and persecution get a fair hearing and the sanctuary they need to heal.
ADVERTISEMENTSepideh Sahar and Angela McLeary are members of One Strong Voice, the UK’s first coalition of refugee and migrant advocates.
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