Micro Rainbow strongly condemns the proposals set out in the Restoring Order and Control policy paper. The new proposals undermine the concept of refugee protection and prevent those granted refugee status the chance of stability needed to rebuild their lives. These punitive proposals undermine access to protection for some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
A grant of refugee status should be the beginning of new life for someone fleeing persecution. The new proposals to grant only 2.5 years at a time and force people to wait up to 20 years for permanent status in the UK creates a situation of permanent instability for people who have fled persecution. Temporary grants of protection make it impossible for a person to plan for their future, put down roots and integrate into a community.
Short term protection means a refugee cannot feel secure as they continue to be at risk of future removal if the Home Office later deems their home country ‘safe’. This proposal puts LGBTQI people at greater risk as the Home Office often overlooks the situation for LGBTQI people when reviewing the safety of a country.
The removal of the Home Office’s duty to provide support to destitute asylum seekers is deeply troubling. Asylum support is far from generous with people surviving on just under £50 per week and under £10 if a person lives in accommodation where catering is provided. Planned new rules denying asylum support to people who could work, have some assets or are deemed not to have complied with the asylum system will lead to a growing number of homeless asylum seekers who have no access to any form of public funding.
This means many people who are already marginalised – particularly LGBTQI people fleeing persecution – will be forced into destitution, exploitation, or dangerous living conditions.
Instead of creating a humane and dignified asylum system that works and protects people, the Home Office is prioritising enforcement and deterrence. The policies undermine the principle of the right to asylum in the UK and rather than achieving the aim of deterring people from coming to the UK.
Micro Rainbow condemns this policy for prioritising deterrence and border control over humanity, protection, and human rights. These reforms, if enacted, will leave countless people in prolonged limbo. We urge the government to reconsider these measures and instead develop an asylum system that respects international obligations, supports refugees, and offers a dignified, humane path to safety and integration.
