Unless we take action to restore public support and confidence, the outlook for the UK’s tradition of providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution is bleak. Rt. Hon. Sir John Waite, Co-Chair, IAC

Refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK are increasingly being denied refuge despite its once high reputation of providing protection for those fleeing persecution.

The recently published Saving Sanctuary report produced by the Independent Asylum Commission (IAC) aims to address this by safe guarding the rights of asylum seekers in order to restore the public’s confidence in the UK asylum system.

The main problem with the UK asylum system according to the report is public perception: “…there is grave misunderstanding in the public mind about the term ‘asylum’ which if not addressed threatens to undermine support for the UK’s proud tradition of providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution; and recommends that immediate action is taken to win hearts and minds and long term public support for sanctuary.”

Speaking ahead of the launch of the Saving Sanctuary report Rt. Hon. Sir John Waite, co-chair of the Independent Asylum Commission and a former Judge of the High Court said: “Unless we take action to restore public support and confidence, the outlook for the UK’s tradition of providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution is bleak… there is a profound disconnection in the public mind between the sanctuary they want the UK to provide and their perception of asylum seekers and the asylum system.”

The key recommendations the report makes are firstly for public support for sanctuary in the UK to be restored by communication with ordinary people; secondly by ensuring that asylum policies are in keeping with mainstream consensus British values on sanctuary; and lastly by restoring public trust by continuing to improve the way we decide who needs sanctuary.

According to the report, asylum seekers fleeing from persecution in their home countries should be offered protection in safe countries such as the UK: “The UK should have an effective system for controlling our border that lets people seeking sanctuary in, as well as keeping irregular migrants out.” This is dependent on a fair and effective decision-making process.

The recommendations underline the failings of the UK asylum system and may explain why many Africans are being denied sanctuary in the UK, which was once praised for accepting people feeling persecution.

Recently published statistics from the Home Office for the first quarter of 2008 reveals that there has been an increase in asylum applications from Africans seeking asylum within the UK. From January to March 2008 there was a 97 percent increase in applications from countries such as Zimbabwe. However, during the same period 72 per cent of applicants were also refused asylum into the UK.

Are African asylum seekers getting a raw deal?

I think the UK asylum system at present is the worst in the world. My organisation has received racism, discrimination, rejection and bad deportation. Thomas Bubi,African Support and Project Centre

This means that many African refugees refused asylum are being forced to return back home to unsuitable and in many cases dangerous conditions due to the structure of the current UK asylum system. Germaine Naruhana from the Eastern Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo is an example of how the current system has failed to provide a place of sanctuary for those fleeing persecution in order to save their lives.

Naruhana, a human rights and political activist who took part in demonstrations against people being killed and raped was forced to leave his home country after being arrested with his sister for his political beliefs. Fearing that he would end up dead like his father who was part of the same political party, he sought sanctuary in the UK but was rejected asylum at Heathrow airport as immigration officers did not believe his story.

Naruhana had to represent himself at his appeal hearing as his solicitor informed him that the Home Office no longer provided funding to be represented. His application was again rejected but he was allowed to remain in the UK, as his sister who also sought asylum in the UK was under 18 and he was her legal guardian. However, when his sister left he was forced to leave and started sleeping rough.

Naurhana’s mother was raped and killed by people looking for him in DR Congo and he believes that his wife and children taken away are also dead. As a result of the UK asylum system failing to provide sanctuary for Naurhana, he now fears deportation and has heard that if he is deported to his home country that the soldiers will deal with him as they have dealt with the rest of his family.

African Support and Project Centre Coordinator, Thomas Bubi, speaking to Colourful about the UK Asylum System said: “I think the UK asylum system at present is the worst in the world. My organisation has received racism, discrimination, rejection and bad deportation.”

Given Bubi’s opinion of the UK asylum system, does the recommendations made in the Saving Sanctuary report go far enough? Laura Padoan from the External Affairs Department at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) responding to the report states:

“The need for a ‘centre ground’ for sanctuary, as recommended in the IAC report, goes hand-in-hand with UNHCR’s promotion of greater community cohesion informed by the values of tolerance and respect. In particular, UNHCR supports the IAC’s emphasis on the moral and humanitarian imperative of offering sanctuary and the need to engage public support for sanctuary as a mainstream British value.”

But according to the African Support and Project Centre, until the recommendations are put into practice, vulnerable individuals will continue to suffer:

“African asylum seekers are still [suffering so] great assistance is needed to change the system. What is needed to improve this system is collaboration with everybody including the refugees already established within the UK.”