December 4th 2023.
The Home Office's shocking admission of incompetence last month, when a senior official revealed that they do not know the whereabouts of around 17,000 asylum seekers in the UK in the last year, was a damning indictment of the government's 'deterrence' approach to refugees.
This approach has not deterred refugees from the safety of the UK, but instead has deterred them from remaining in the system. As a result, more people are living without authorisation in vulnerable situations.
It seems that when the government took action to start processing 'legacy' claims, made before 28 June 2022, they opened a Pandora's box of shocking failures in the asylum system. Two of the most pressing failures are the growing number of homeless refugees and the ever-growing number of missing asylum seekers.
Refugees whose claims are being recognised are being given a matter of days to find new accommodation and means of support before they are evicted onto the street, while those who have been waiting for years in limbo have gone missing. It's possible that they have simply been sent communications to the wrong address, or they may have lost all hope in the system and gone underground.
It's clear that the government's hostile attitude towards migrants has only exacerbated the problem. It is also clear that a compassionate response to asylum seekers is the most pragmatic approach to reduce criminality and exploitation in our communities.
There are jobs available here and relative safety, whether within the system or without it. If we give people no hope of obtaining protection as refugees, we are simply forcing them into vulnerable positions that can lead to exploitation.
We must learn that grandstanding cruelty cannot take away the need for solutions for people on the move. We must be willing to offer people protection and safety, and provide them with a platform to rebuild their lives.
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