UK Asylum Policy

Research has showed that the most substantial concern in the UK today is immigration, with the number of asylum applications substantially increasing over the past two decades. There is a big misunderstanding when it comes to asylum seekers and people have many misconceptions (predominantly fuelled by media platforms) about why people are applying for asylum in the UK and whether it is really ‘chance or choice’. Whilst there has been an increased awareness and support for asylum seekers, this essay critically analyses each government since 1996 and their contributions/aid, or lack thereof, to those seeking asylum. There is a belief that asylum policy since 1996 has seen more continuity than change. Looking at government policies since 1996,

The governments approach to asylum is predominantly on the assumption that many of those who arrive in the UK and claim asylum are not genuinely in need of protection, but rather economic migrants. Whether it is for this reason or not, asylum legislation has increasingly been more and more restricted regarding welfare support. Block and Schuster assert that the exclusion of asylum seekers from mainstream provision and the increase in poverty and destitution are resulting consequences of legislation under New Labour Governments. More specifically, The Immigration and Asylum Act, 1999; Nationality, Asylum and Immigration Act, 2002 and Asylum and Immigration Act, 2004 (Block and Schuster, 2005). Once more, the topic of asylum quickly became linked to welfare and it was argued by press and politicians that most asylum seekers were in fact economic migrants drawn to the UK and other European states by the promise of welfare Benefits (Block and Shuster 2002). In fact, Labour’s Jack Straw (1999) made a statement that, “there is no doubt that the availability of cash benefits in the social security system is a major pull factor that encourages fraudulent claims at port. It is one of the factors that encourages many people whose claims are wholly without foundation to come in clandestinely… they come in

Still Human Still Here (2011) proposed a few solutions that they believe the government should implement to create a more humane and efficient asylum system, including and not limited to; the government should ensure that all asylum seekers are given adequate support from the point of their application until they are given status or return to their country of origin; provide asylum seekers with support rates equivalent to at least 70% of income support, paid in cash. The support rate for lone parents should be increased to 70% of income support immediately as they are a particularly vulnerable group; and to grant asylum seekers permission to work if their cases have not been resolved in 6 months or they have been refused but cannot be removed through no fault of their