JRS UK sets out asks for election candidates

Sarah Teather - Wiki image by Keith Edkins

With less than five weeks to go until the General election the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK has set out three priorities for candidates. JRS UK is calling for candidates from all parties to support:

- the repeal of anti-refugee laws
- ending immigration detention
- lifting the ban on work for asylum seekers

Director Sarah Teather has urged voters to grasp this opportunity to engage candidates on these crucial issues, stating: "Over a number of years we've seen a shocking rise in hostility, scapegoating and cruel policies targeting refugees and asylum seekers. But so many of us want a different approach: one that welcomes women, men and children who come here in search of safety, treats them with dignity and celebrates the gifts they bring."

Repeal of anti-refugee laws

JRS UK is renewing its calls for a repeal of the anti-refugee laws, and for a system that considers asylum claims fairly, ensures people have the legal support they need to navigate the process, and treats everyone in search of sanctuary as human beings.

Anti-refugee laws and policies, include the Illegal Migration Act, which bans most refugees from claiming asylum; housing people in appalling settings like barges and disused military barracks; and plans to forcibly transfer people to Rwanda as well as other plans to outsource asylum.

End Immigration Detention

JRS UK has consistently campaigned for an end to immigration detention. Every year, thousands of people are incarcerated, without any time limit, in prison-like conditions for immigration purposes. The decision to detain a person does not even go before a judge.

Sophie Cartwright, JRS UK's Senior Policy Officer, explained: "through JRS UK's extensive work with those who are detained, we know that detention destroys lives. It is very harmful to people's physical and mental health. People who have survived torture and then been detained say it's like being tortured again. Abuse, neglect, and humiliation of detained people are prolific."

Pope Francis and other Catholic leaders have warned that immigration detention violates human dignity.

Lift the ban on work for people in the asylum system

JRS UK is renewing its call to lift the ban on work for asylum seekers, highlighting widespread public support for the right to work and a widespread desire to work among those seeking sanctuary.

Sophie Cartwright added: "People seeking asylum are banned from working. This means they are forced to live in poverty, and they are denied a crucial way of participating in society. People often wait for years in the asylum system, they lose the skills they once had, so it's harder to work later. For people trying to rebuild their lives, work can be an opportunity to contribute, participate, and support themselves and their families. It is cruel and destructive to deny them this."

JRS UK is politically independent and does not endorse any candidate or party.

LINKS

JRS UK: www.jrsuk.net
Twitter: @JRSUK
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jesuitrefugeeserviceuk