Sarah Teather MP: Abuse to asylum seekers

Asylum seekers: Damning report reveals systemic failures.

"There are moments in politics when what you hear makes you ashamed"

writes Sarah Teather MP in the forward of the newly released Parliamentary Inquiry Report into asylum support for children and young people. The Inquiry was chaired by Sarah Teather MP and conducted by a select group of MPs and Peers with evidence provided by a range of bodies including religious organisations and children's actions groups. The aim of the report was to examine the support and care provided to children and families seeking protection from war and persecution.

Teather writes

What was clear from the evidence we received was that systemic failures from successive governments are leaving many destitute- some who have no access to any support at all and many others where the level of support is inadequate to meet basic living needs. Parents told us they went without food to buy basic items for their family, and even struggled to provide healthy food, winter coats and school uniforms for their children."

The asylum seeker is given an 'Azure card', which consists of vouchers and not cash, which the asylum seeker uses to buy things. The trouble is most shops, buses, post-offices and other businesses do not accept the vouchers. The only, requirement for the housing authority, is that the asylum seeker must be housed a maximum of three miles from a shop or business that accepts the card. As buses, trains and taxis do not accept the Azure card, many asylum seekers are forced to walk a possible six miles in order to buy basic goods. In many cases the total value of the card was £5 a day, which means that the asylum seeker cannot buy very much, which proves difficult for families.

The panel who conducted the Inquiry were 'shocked' at the level of racial abuse and victimisation of asylum seekers at the hands of members of the public. They were more 'shocked' by the abject disregard for basic human dignity demonstrated by housing providers. The worst affected were 'failed' asylum seekers forced to live under the 'inhumane' section 4 code. The code, which was passed in 1999, is designed to offer short-term support to 'failed' asylum seekers, who the state is unable to deport to their countries of origin due to fear for their safety.

Section 4 also caused serious problems to the health and well-being of the individuals, due to inadequate services by the authorities. This includes constant re-moving and re-housing of asylum seekers in areas with poor quality accommodation, poor links to health services and difficulties in accessing transport. The report claims that these three factors may be leading to greater infant mortality and maternal deaths during pregnancy. One story cited in the report is of a mother who had twins prematurely, lost one, and had to walk to and from the hospital to keep up with regular appointments for the other child. The report calls on section 4 to be abolished and new and fairer mechanism be put in place.

Despite the disturbing nature of the report, most media outlets have not devoted much coverage to this inquiry. Perhaps, this is the most disturbing aspect of the Inquiry, not only the terrible conditions asylum seekers live in, but the misrepresentation of asylum seekers in the media. This misrepresentation has led to demonisation of an entire group, which is bad enough, but when it gets the point that when these people need our help and we ignore it, it begins to cost lives.

We need to reset the 'narrative' on immigration and asylum seekers in the UK, the discourse of the tabloid media in this country, depicts 'tiny Britain' with its 'civilised' values under siege from 'waves' of foreigners. This first distinguish here is that general immigration and asylum seeking are not the same thing. Immigrants contribute more finically to Britain, per capita, than the 'native' born population and use less of its benefit services than the 'native' born population.

Asylum Seekers are refugees fleeing war, persecution and oppression in their homelands. Their financial contribution to the country is less, as by law, they are not allowed to work, contrary to their own wishes. Britain is not the number one place for refugees globally. Britain has 193,510 refugees/asylum seekers as of 2011, making up 0.33% of the British population according the UNHCR. This may sound like a large number but compared to Pakistan and Iran, who have the largest refugee populations in the world, it is miniscule. Officially, Pakistan is estimated to have up to 1.7 known refugees according the UNHCR, the unofficial figures are much higher. The idea of Britain being 'overrun' is simple not true and we need to correct this image in order to have better informed debate on this issue.

Usman Butt