The UK’s broken asylum system

[All uphill]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/09/people-feared-dead-boat-sinks-near-lampedusa

Imagine being so.desperate, to be prepared to undergo this kind of potentially lethal journey.

And then you'll get people saying "Oh they're just 'easy life' seekers".



And who has pedalled the myth of an 'easy life' ? The lies that immigrants are being housed in 'luxury hotels' or of our being 'swamped' or 'swarmed' by 'hoardes' of 'illegal' immigrants and all the rest of the nasty untruths?

Your beloved tabloid press, that's who, constantly stoking up xenophobia and hatred with their falsehoods, and twisted reporting that give the impression that immigration is an enormous threat to people in this country.

All of which, is of course a great distraction from our 'governments' persistent and deliberate mis management on this and so many other issues.

But stirring up hatred, and dehumanising stories sells newspapers - and provides great clickbait so who cares right?




Tell that to Paley - apparently that kind of thing wouldn't be allowed here 🙄

I do some volunteering with asylum seekers and refugees locally. I'm not particularly gullible and my experience is mostly very different from the lazy tabloid stereotypes.

A few examples from yesterday; a person who escaped a murderous conflict six years ago, was given leave to remain and has worked in a job where there are persistent vacancies. They have managed to save a deposit and are completing the purchase of a flat.

A farmer who escaped religious persecution and just wants an outdoor job using their skills and strength.

A retired professional who wants to live here and offer voluntary support to others in their profession. They require no financial support.

A person who is here to give their young children a better future. They will need support and education and then will be able to work and contribute.

Do any of the people here who support the Tory line actually know a representative mix of refugees or asylum seekers?

I am not a radical - I admire hard work and thrift. It seems to me there is a strong case to be made for immigration at a time of labour shortages and an aging population.

 

[Bromptonaut]

So those little leaflets in various foreign languages telling people how to game the UK system are also part of a hard right conspiracy?

Please could you point me to where I might find the text of one of these leaflets?

 

[Pale Rider]

Please could you point me to where I might find the text of one of these leaflets?

The leaflets have been reproduced in the media a handful of times over the years.

2h ago11.00 BST

Record 755 people detected crossing Channel in small boats on Thursday, Home Office says​

On Thursday 755 people were detected crossing the Channel in small boats, the highest number on a single day so far this year, the Home Office said.
The previous high for this year was 686 people on 7 July.
The cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2023 now stands at a provisional total of 15,826. Total arrivals last year were 45,755.
The latest figures mean there have been 100,715 arrivals detected since January 2018, when data was first reported.
There were 14 boats detected crossing the Channel on Thursday, which suggests an average of about 54 people per boat.

No wonder the system is creaking.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

No wonder the system is creaking.

No, the rate of applications is not a bigger driver for the backlog than the rate of processing those claims.

The system is creaking it’s because it’s being mismanaged.

There was an increase in the number of caseworkers from 2011/12 to 2021/22 but, bizarrely, decision making rates decreased in that period.

In December 2022, there were 1,237 caseworkers who made an average of 4 asylum decisions per month each, compared to 380 caseworkers with a productivity rate of 13.7 decisions in 2011/12.

An inspection of asylum case work in 2021 by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) gives a fairly clear idea of how the system has come to be creaking;

• demoralised and inadequately trained staff,
• high turnover of staff because of pressure to meet targets,
• the removal in 2019 of the official service standard, which was to decide 98% of straightforward cases within six months.

The government knows there are better ways to handle this but none of those gives them the opportunity to exploit manufactured fear and division.

 

[Bromptonaut]

The leaflets have been reproduced in the media a handful of times over the years.

I understand that they've been mentioned.

My request was for you to stand up their existence.

 

[newfhouse]

https://fullfact.org/immigration/safe-and-legal-asylum-routes/

 

[Deleted member 28]

And?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

And?

Are you struggling with understanding the contradiction between the two columns?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Oh well, a few less to worry about then Cruella....

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...t-capsizes-channel?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

 

[newfhouse]

Oh well, a few less to worry about then Cruella....

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...t-capsizes-channel?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

 

[Deleted member 28]

Are you struggling with understanding the contradiction between the two columns?

No.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

No.

So how do you reconcile the government’s position with the truth?

 

[Bromptonaut]

That's the same point that one on Cruella's own MPs kebabed her with at a select committee earlier in the year.

Safe routes and the idea the boat arrivals are jumping some queue are outright and blatant lies.

 

[Deleted member 28]

So how do you reconcile the government’s position with the truth?

Well clearly they don't want any asylum seekers coming here, perhaps it's you that struggles to understand?

 

[Bromptonaut]

Well clearly they don't want any asylum seekers coming here, perhaps it's you that struggles to understand?

That's actually their position, at least so far as arrivals by boat are concerned, so why tell lies and pretend it is not?

Actually, boat arrivals are only around half of irregular migration so far this year. Others have arrived legally by air as tourists, workers, spouses or whatever and then claimed Asylum.

Care to guess the proportion of those briefly on Bibby Stockholm who arrived by small boat?