Plea for "humanity" from Halifax refugee charity over controversial borders bill

St Augustine's Centre has shared grave concerns about the Nationality and Borders Bill, currently being scrutinised by the House of Commons.

The centre - which helps refugees and asylum seekers - says the bill, as it stands, "shuts down legal routes and neglects our obligations to provide safety to those fleeing war and persecution".

Centre caseworker Nikki Clarke says there has been little evidence from the Government about providing more safe legal routes for people to come here seeking sanctuary, and she is worried that the majority of people who the centre currently supports would not be eligible to claim asylum if the bill passes.

The centre also has concerns about whether people would be placed in detention centres.

"We help people who are fleeing from war or persecution of different sorts, maybe because of their religion or conversion," she said.

"I would like to see the Government and society be more humane about this, putting themselves in other people's shoes and actually having that humanity."

Both MP for Halifax Lynch (Labour) and Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker (Conservative) are on the committee for the bill.

Ms Lynch said: "The situation in the Channel could not be more desperate, however this bill provides no workable solutions or safe and legal alternatives to dangerous crossings.

"The Government needs international agreements in order for any of its proposals to work but has failed to secure any.

"We are getting further and further away from the international cooperation required to identify and break-up the awful human trafficking gangs who are profiteering from putting lives at risk.

"The proposals also makes it harder for victims of modern slavery to be identified and safeguarded, and therefore harder to secure prosecutions against their abusers.

"When you consider the greatest increase in victims of modern slavery is British children who have been criminally exploited by county lines gangs, it makes a mockery of the Government’s drugs proposals this week. The bill is both unworkable and inhumane."

Mr Whittaker said: “It is plain not true and disingenuous to say that this bill closes down safe and legal routes.

"The UK’s Resettlement Scheme prioritises refugees – including children – from regions of conflict and instability, rather than those coming to the UK from safe European countries.

"We will continue to support those who are most in need as we have and are doing in countries like Afghanistan. To say otherwise, legitimises the profoundly unsafe and life-threatening crossings of the Channel in small boats whilst says nothing about the cartels of people smugglers and horrendous criminal gangs that profit from the suffering and deaths of vulnerable people.

"As for the claim that we are criminalising those fleeing persecution, nobody arriving by small boat is fleeing persecution in France. Last time I checked, France was safe enough for many millions of British holidaymakers to visit annually.

"People should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and those with the ability to pay people smugglers should not be able to abuse the system by jumping the queue ahead of people in real danger around the world.

"These measures target the criminal groups responsible for the exploitation taking place – not the migrants themselves.”