World Refugee Day

Monday was World Refugee Day.

As a resident of the United Kingdom, I am not sure I am comfortable with my government referring to refugees, travelling the dangerous waters of the English Channel, as ‘illegal immigrants’. The term ‘illegal’ has connotations of wrong doing and criminality when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. International law entitles refugees to choose the country they wish to settle in. For the majority of those choosing the UK, it is because they have family here in Britain. The press would have you believe that most displaced people end up here in Europe when in fact 72% settle in a neighbouring country to their own. Another myth is that those migrants that do make it to Europe, make a beeline for the UK. In fact, we rank number 7 compared to the EU countries for taking in refugees, with Germany taking about 4 times as many as the UK, and France a close second. ?For those of you who think they come thanks to our generous benefits system, think again. They are expected to survive on ￡6 a day per person and are not permitted to seek employment. The argument that most are economic migrants can also be challenged. For those who apply for asylum, 75% are granted refugee status.

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The recent spate of refugee deaths has changed the narrative ever so subtly to that of ‘saving the refugees from the traffickers’. To stop the ‘traffickers’ in France exploiting these vulnerable people, the UK government will send these refugees thousands of miles away to Rwanda. Here their claims will be processed. Of course, this scheme predictably has been thwarted by the courts and will undoubtedly cost millions, if not billions, of pounds to instigate like similar schemes trialled in other countries. By deporting these refugees thousands of miles away from the British shores, the British Home Secretary, Preti Patel, hopes ?this drastic measure will deter refugees from travelling to this country, and therefore dry up the trade of human cargo for the traffickers. This will in turn saves lives! In the meantime, hindered by the courts, she wanted to tag immigrants with GPS ankle bracelets and restrict their movements until she can send them to Rwanda. A cheaper and more successful option might be cooperation with our European counterparts to build a cross- country consensus and strategy for dealing with refugees. Combine that with a fair but robust immigration policy, which gives genuine refugees a legal means of entering the UK, we might stop the horrific scenes of people drowning off our shores.

My fear is this kind of rhetoric criminalises and dehumanises people who have already suffered incredible hardship. It also feeds the racist narrative that all immigrants are parasites, rapists, and criminals. It has lasting impact not just on immigrants themselves but on all non-native British and foreign nationals living in the UK.

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I do believe the majority of British are a generous and decent people. This is demonstrated by their huge charitable donations and volunteer work. If you need further proof, look how they have welcomed refugees from Ukraine with open arms. But many British have legitimate concerns regarding the cost of refugees to the economy. Particularly when they struggle to find affordable housing, wait years for medical procedures or queueing outside foodbanks in order to feed their families. ?The government along with many media outlets are more than happy to blame foreigners for this situation and infer our shores are overrun with illegal immigrants. The narrative of fear, suspicion and tribalism helps stoke up resentment, and creates a convenient scapegoat for the inadequacies of ill-managed policy and funding by multiple governments of all persuasions. I don’t blame some people for feeing this way. Governments are masters of public spin, deflecting the blame on others. I have found myself sleepwalking into the story that the UK is bursting at the seams and have to remind myself of the facts which often don’t support the arguments. Taking our fair share of refugees doesn’t mean we can’t build housing or modernise the NHS. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, most immigrants help grow our economy, not shrink it. They are willing to do the jobs that many living in Britain today are not. They pay taxes and their children excel at school. They are net contributions to this country. At a time when vegetables and fruit lay rotting in fields due to a shortage of workers and restaurants cannot open due to a lack of kitchen staff, surely now is the time to reconsider the policy.

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This is my personal opinion, and this doesn’t mean if you have opposing views you are wrong. I welcome a healthy and constructive debate based on facts, born out positive intent and seeking the truth. Please feel free to express you opinion in the comments below.

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What is your opinion on refugees and immigration?

Are you comfortable with refugees being tagged?

If your answer is yes, would you extend that to Ukrainian refugees?

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I’m curious to read your responses.

Thank you for reading.