An opportunity to critically examine asylum and migration issues
Last Monday I had the opportunity to take part in a seminar on Asylum and Migration at the House of Commons in London organised by the influential Westminster Home Affairs Select Committee. This event was a vital opportunity to highlight the need for a fairer and more humane asylum system in the UK.
It brought together MPs and other stakeholders in the asylum and migration sector in UK and MP’s from other Parliaments across Europe to critically look at current issues affecting migration and asylum – each with our own set of priorities – though of course many of them shared.
A lot of discussion took place and some of the highlights included:
- identifying how confidence could be improved in the UK asylum system;
- discussing how to ensure fairer treatment in the asylum process;
- examining issues of unlawful detention and child detention;
- considering legal advice and proposed changes to legal aid and its impact on asylum seekers and practitioners;
- contemplating how to make the asylum process more gender sensitive; and
- discussing how the EU can anticipate migration problems better.
No quick-fix solutions – but an important opportunity to address issues raised
Of course, there are no quick-fixes – and there’s still a lot up for debate. But as an organisation Scottish Refugee Council remains dedicated to providing advice and information to people seeking asylum and refugees, raising public awareness and continuing to campaign for a fairer asylum system . My hope is that the Select Committee will look into the issues raised at this meeting and use their influence to help improve the system.
The 1951Refugee Convention – still relevant, still saving lives
There were a number of observations around the 1951 Refugee Convention and whether it continues to meet the needs of the 21st century. I’d like to echo the sentiments of many who spoke on the day, “The Convention works and continues to save lives – it has been adaptable to changing circumstances of protection needs over the years.”
60 years onward, still relevant and still saving lives.
