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Today, the Nationality & Borders Bill reaches it’s second reading in the House of Lords. Vauxhall Law Centre has a proud history of representing refugees and people seeking asylum and we oppose the harmful content of this Bill, which will marginalise and disadvantage people who are seeking sanctuary in the UK.
The #AntiRefugeeBill will increase cases of destitution and homelessness as ‘categories’ of refugees are introduced and access to rights and entitlements are aligned with how a person has entered the UK. People seeking sanctuary do not choose how they seek safety, but make life changing decisions to protect themselves and their families. They should not be penalised for the difficult decisions they have had to make. We support many clients out of homeless and destitution; their ability to meet their essential living needs should not be impacted by mode of entry to the UK.
The #AntiRefugeeBill will reduce people’s ability to resolve their immigration status and rebuild their lives by removing rights to appeals, reducing opportunities for people to submit evidence and reducing trafficking survivors' access to support. Many of our clients need these routes to move out of homelessness and destitution. Removing these routes will keep people with legitimate protection claims in limbo, strip them of their dignity and make them unsafe.
As proud members of the Together with Refugees coalition, we oppose the #AntiRefugeeBill and call on the government to create a fair and safe asylum system where people who are seeking sanctuary are treated with respect and are allowed to live with dignity.
To learn more about the Nationality & Borders Bill read this useful briefing from Free Movement: https://www.freemovement.org.uk/a-first-look-at-the-new-plan-for-immigration/
Use this link to watch the second reading in the House of Lords: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Lords