Charities slam “draconian” asylum laws
Two thirds of asylum seekers have been forced to sleep rough following the adoption of “tough” new rules by the Home Office, leading refugee charities claim today.
Six charities have published a report into the living conditions of 154 refugees which shows asylum seekers endure “desperate suffering” if they fall foul of Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act.
The legislation denies welfare benefits to those who fail to lodge asylum claims as soon as they arrive at their first port of call in the UK.
The charities say: “The government’s policy of denying welfare support to asylum seekers is leaving them without food or shelter.”
The survey found 61 per cent were sleeping rough, 70 per cent did not have regular meals or food and 57 per cent said their health had deteriorated.
The charities said Section 55 caused “ongoing destitution”.
The Refugee Council, Refugee Action, Scottish Refugee Council, Welsh Refugee Council, Refugee Arrivals Project and Migrant Helpline together called on home secretary David Blunkett to scrap the year-old controversial law.
Maeve Sherlock, chief executive of the Refugee Council: “With each fresh report evidence mounts of the devastating impact of this draconian policy.
“The government must hold an inquiry to uncover the full extent of the problem. People who have fled serious oppression should not be left hungry and homeless.”
The Home Office says the charities’ sample was not representative claiming there was little in the way of “hard evidence”.
