Women for Refugee Women

 

 

We at MEWSo are truly saddened by the affect changes to the Nationality and Borders Bill will have on refugees, in particular the affect it will have on vulnerable women. 

 

After the shocking sights we witnessed in Afghanistan, of desperate men and women trying every which way to get out of a homeland that is no longer safe for them and their families, it is shameful that Britain is in the process of making it near impossible for genuine refugees and asylum seekers to get sanctuary here. 

 

The current asylum system is broken. There are not enough legal avenues open to refugees to come to Britain safely. The Home Office continues to reject refugee cases for bureaucratic reasons rather than genuine need. And now, the new Bill will create a two-tier system which will punish refugees who take irregular routes into the country by refusing them permanent settlement.

 

The Government is wilfully misunderstanding the concept that

desperate people take desperate measures. 

 

Refugees should not be made to suffer any more than they already have by being condemned to temporary settlement, restricting their ability to enter late evidence, increasing the baseline of what constitutes reasonable grounds, making it harder for vulnerable women to argue their cases, making refugees more at risk from modern-day slavery, and so on. Being kept in limbo like this means refugees will never feel safe and are striped of their dignity and their liberty. 

 

We cannot, and must not, turn our backs and walk away from such humanitarian need. 

 

MEWSo, together with the Women for Refugee Women coalition, stand with women seeking asylum, providing them with advice, guidance and support. We struggle to find them safety, shelter and food, particularly during this pandemic, but we will continue to campaign on their behalf and against this legislation. 

 

We urge you all to contact your MP, send them this briefing and ask them to speak against the Bill in Parliament because of the devastating impact it will have on vulnerable women seeking a safe haven. 

 

Thank you.

​

Halaleh Taheri