More than 200 refugee charities have written to Andy Burnham demanding he tear up asylum plans that include a £10,000 “refugee tax” and the use of former military sites for housing. In a letter coordinated by Asylum Matters, organisations including Doctors of the World UK, Freedom from Torture, City of Sanctuary and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) accused the government of pursuing “failed gimmicks” that have “done nothing but waste public money and cause yet more suffering”.
The appeal comes just days after Burnham reappointed Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary, signalling he will not change course. Mahmood’s Immigration and Asylum Bill, now going through Parliament, would make refugee status temporary, with assessments every two-and-a-half years, and introduce a £10,000 fee for those allowed to stay. The Home Secretary argues the measures will “protect the asylum system for a generation”, but charities say the fee penalises refugees for delays in the system. Another controversial proposal would force asylum seekers to wait 20 years before qualifying for indefinite leave to remain, though this could be sped up through work or study.
“Over 200 refugee charities urge PM Andy Burnham to scrap refugee tax and military site plans as he reappoints Shabana Mahmood.”
Nathan Phillips, head of campaigns at Asylum Matters, said: “We’ve seen Government after Government try to solve the problems in our asylum system with more hostility, and it simply hasn’t worked. From the Rwanda plan to the new refugee tax, every new cruel, impractical gimmick has done nothing but waste public money and cause yet more suffering for people seeking sanctuary, all while emboldening racist agitators and undermining the togetherness of our communities. So our message to Andy Burnham is simple: you don’t have to keep doing this. It’s perfectly possible to build an asylum system with welcome at its heart that is both efficient and cost effective.”
The letter follows a similar call from senior religious leaders to water down the proposals. But Mahmood, whom the Blue Labour thinker Lord Glasman has compared to Elizabeth I, shows no sign of retreat. She is rooted in an “earnest patriotism”, reinforced by “profound faith”, and has spoken of supporting England over Pakistan in cricket “all the way”. Her robust civic nationalism, which she says is shaped by an appreciation of the common law, sets her apart from predecessors who promoted watery “British values”. For now, Burnham appears to have chosen continuity over the charities’ demands, leaving the asylum bill on track to become law.