“People should not be punished because of this government’s failure to offer them a safe alternative”
BY ELEANOR NOYCE, IMAGE VIA PEXELS
Rainbow Migration has today condemned Suella Braverman’s plans to ban people crossing the Channel from claiming asylum. Outlined in a speech given at the Conservative Party conference, Braverman’s proposals would further endanger LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum. The organisation has labelled the ideology “inhuman.”
Rainbow Migration is a charity that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex people through the asylum and immigration system. Its vision is a world where there is equality, dignity, respect and safety for all people in the expression of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Notably, since assuming the office of Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been called on to distance herself from the cruel legacy of Priti Patel. However, these new plans suggest otherwise.
The UK Government announced the arrival of the first group of LGBTQI+ Afghans – 29 people – in October 2021, and ever since, Rainbow Migration has regularly received messages from people in a similar situation to help them. However, because there are no official accessible routes to claim asylum through, the number of people from Afghanistan who arrive in the UK via the Channel has increased significantly.
“People should not be punished because of this government’s failure to offer them a safe alternative, and we are filled with horror at the remarks made by the Home Secretary today that she intends to deny asylum, and therefore safety, to people fleeing the Taliban”, the organisation released in a statement.
“At Rainbow Migration we have assisted several people from Iran and Iraq who have arrived in the UK via the Channel this year. Again, there is no resettlement option on offer from the UK for LGBTQI+ people from either of these countries. People have the right to decide in which country they seek safety, a position that is supported by the UNHCR.
“If there are no formal routes open and accessible to those who need them, then people will be forced to travel however they can in order to get here. A person is no less a refugee because they were unable to access a safe route to come here, and it is morally despicable to suggest otherwise.
“It is disappointing to see the Home Secretary squander the opportunity to break with the dangerous, cruel and ineffective policies of her predecessor, and we urge her to reconsider and reverse her approach.”
To learn more about Rainbow Migration and show your support for LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum, visit their website.
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