The first report of the Independent Asylum Commission was published this week.
The first of three reports following an 18 month enquiry into the UK asylum system was published by the Independent Asylum Commission on Tuesday. It focused on two areas, the results of the polling of the public on their views on asylum and the asylum system, and how the UK decides who needs sanctuary.
The polling revealed that people continue to have serious misconceptions around the asylum issue, and that the word asylum in itself has been debased to the extent that it lacks real meaning. They have proposed shifting the focus to ‘sanctuary’, a term that has more positive connotations.
The report also makes several recommendations on the provision of sanctuary to those seeking it here in the UK. In response, Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:
“Evidence gathered by the Commission shows an asylum system that does not have protection at the heart of its agenda. It has found that even accessing the asylum system is extremely difficult, stringent and punitive border controls making the UK even more unreachable as a safe haven for people fleeing persecution. For those that do get here, decision-making remains poor, and the way the process works is adversarial and does not guarantee a fair hearing.
“It is time for the government to act on this independent evidence. The measure of an effective asylum system is not how low numbers are, but how well we are able to protect those who are fleeing for their lives.”
