The domestic agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has strongly criticized recent announcements by the U.K. government concerning asylum seekers’ rights to remain in the country.
Following the publication of the government’s new proposals last month, Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) released a statement on Dec. 17 saying that new rules surrounding those seeking asylum were “incompatible with the Gospel and the teaching of the Catholic Church.”
Under current U.K. law, people who are facing persecution in their own country are entitled to five years of refugee status. At the end of this period, they may apply for indefinite leave to remain in the U.K.
However, to control the amount of people settling in the U.K., the Labour Party government has announced that this protection period will be reduced to 2.5 years and individuals might be sent back to their home country if it is later judged to be “safe.” They will also have to reapply every 2.5 years to retain their protected status.
Refugees will also have to wait up to 20 years, rather than five, to secure an indefinite right to remain in the U.K. if new proposals are ratified. The list of jobs that entitle people to a skilled worker visa have already been reduced, the policy for which took effect in July.
The statement from CSAN recorded its “grave concern” about the plans surrounding asylum seekers.
“The proposed policies would quadruple the wait before those with refugee status can access permanent settlement from five to 20 years, exacerbating the stress and uncertainty faced by people trying to rebuild their lives in the U.K. Only some who work or study may be permitted a faster pathway to settlement, but one fraught with uncertainty and heavy penalties for any challenges they face,” the statement said.
“By ending the right to family reunion — one of the few safe routes available — the government will separate loved ones from one another and force people to take riskier journeys to be reunited, putting more lives at risk.”
The statement by CSAN went on to say: “By increasing the forced removal of adults and families, the government will further displace people from their communities and reverse a decade of work to reduce the numbers of people subjected to the harmful practice of immigration detention, including children. As we saw in the ‘Windrush’ scandal, where British citizens from commonwealth countries were detained and removed, focusing on increasing numbers of people removed places access to justice at risk, with devastating consequences for human lives.
“And by removing the right to safety nets against destitution, the government will drive people and families on the move into homelessness, leave them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and strip them of their dignity.”