Submission on restoring public confidence in the UK’s asylum system to to the International

Commission of Labour’s National Policy Forum

Restoring public confidence in the UK’s asylum system would answer in part the question
“Where and how can Britain make a genuine difference around the world, in pursuit of peace,
justice and human rights?” asked in the International Commission’s discussion paper.

The UK is party to the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as
amended by its 1967 Protocol. It is also party to the European Convention on Human Rights,
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.

Despite these praiseworthy ideals, the UK’s asylum system is losing public confidence. The
asylum system has become a means for economic migrants who are in the UK illegally to avoid
removal from the UK by claiming asylum. By the time these claims for asylum fail these
economic migrants have absconded and if apprehended further seek to frustrate attempts to
remove them from the UK by refusing to give their true names or countries of origin. The UK’s
asylum system unintentionally facilitates illegal economic migration and so assists people-
trafficking and associated criminal activities.

Debate on the subject of asylum is unfortunately often clouded by conflation with immigration.
Asylum and immigration systems should be entirely separate. One is humanitarian, the other
is economic. Some refugees may provide economic benefit to the UK, but this is entirely
secondary to humanitarian concerns and needs to be weighed against the economic benefit
those refugees would provide to their own country if and when returned to that country. Any
UK immigration policy is undermined by the asylum system’s unintentional facilitation of illegal
economic migration.

I would like to submit a proposal to detain asylum seekers who arrive in the UK without valid
visas at Immigration Reception Centres (IRCs) located on British Overseas Territories islands in
the Atlantic Ocean while their claims for asylum and appeals are processed. All asylum
seekers would have full protection under UK law, including access to legal services and the
ability to challenge their detention in court. They would be kept safe, fed and accommodated.
They would have local access to medical services and Non-Governmental Organisations that
provide support to refugees. Access to services not provided locally would be provided by
videolink.

The IRCs would be monitored by the Immigration Service, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of
Prisons and Independent Monitoring Boards. It must be anticipated that those asylum seekers
whose claims are not genuine and who therefore anticipate deportation will seek to disrupt the
operation of the IRCs.

To refugees the prospect of safety, food and accommodation with readily accessible medical,
legal and support services would be welcome. To asylum seekers whose claims are not
genuine the absence of any prospect of living in the UK would defeat their purpose for claiming
asylum.

IRCs on British Overseas Territories islands would also provide employment and consequent
economic activity on those islands.