Immigration Simplification Bill – draft Protection Rules
Joint Response from the Refugee Council and Refugee and Migrant Justice [May 2009]
In April 2009, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) published a revised draft of the proposed Protection Rules that will accompany the Immigration Simplification Bill when it is introduced in Parliament, possibly later in this Parliamentary Session. The Immigration Simplification Bill seeks to simplify the current complex legal framework for immigration and asylum.
The Refugee Council has responded jointly with Refugee and Migrant Justice to the consultation on the Protection Rules. One of our main concerns relates to failure of the Rules to state clearly the primacy of the Refugee Convention, as well as the extent to which the Rules seek to redefine terms that are used in the Refugee Convention. This is a matter of concern as the Refugee Convention is a living instrument and there is a real danger that any interpretation in the UK’s Protection Rules may be, or may become, misleading and out of date. Our response also makes a number of recommendations about specific changes that are required to ensure that refugees are recognised and protected appropriately in the UK.
The draft Protection Rules may be viewed on the UKBA website at:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/managingborders/simplifying
This link also explains the background and scope of the Simplification Project.
Refugee Council’s previous responses relating to Simplification can be viewed at:
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/policy/briefings/2008/immigrationandcitizenship.htm
