Humanists have joined the chorus of condemnation of a cruel Government policy. Barking and Dagenham Post opinion piece 13.7.22.
‘Dehumanising and Immoral.’ Humanists have added their voice to those across the board slamming the Government’s Rwanda scheme.
A fact often overlooked, and rubbished by those who should know better, is that there is no legal or moral obligation for asylum seekers to apply in the first ‘safe’ country they get to. Nor should there be. One reason should be obvious. An intolerable burden would otherwise fall on ‘safe’ countries immediately next to, say, war zones. This point was fully appreciated by the framers of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The Convention rightly allows refugees to choose the country to which they make their application. The UK should be proud to have been among the first signatories.
The Government stance on Ukrainian refugees acknowledges this moral and legal right to choose. But its cruel Rwanda policy is not designed for this group of white Europeans. They are spared the added trauma of being dragged off to a third, far-away country. The Government’s sanctimonious and cynical pretence that Rwanda is aimed at defeating people traffickers is particularly hard to stomach. Humane, less costly and more effective ways of combatting evil traffickers include creating safe routes and a system of vetting applications fit for purpose. This is the Government’s purported policy for Ukrainians. So why not for others fleeing conflict and persecution?
Humanists UK plays a vital role supporting humanist asylum seekers persecuted for their beliefs. It knows the extreme difficulties they face in the UK. Following arduous journeys and harsh conditions getting here they suffer further anxiety about whether their cases will be heard fairly and processed properly. The Rwanda policy only exacerbates their situation. Our specialty is helping victims persecuted for being non-religious. For them, Rwanda represents an especially unsafe destination with a risk of further persecution.
Above all, the Rwanda policy loses sight of refugees as human beings. As Lord Alf Dubs, a patron of Humanists UK, and himself a refugee from Nazi persecution, points out ‘Everyone should have the right to lead a dignified and fulfilling life, including enjoyment of freedom of thought and expression. Refugees have contributed so much to the life and character of the UK. To see them sent to suffer more elsewhere is a travesty. Being a refugee is already one of the hardest things imaginable. We should be doing what we can to support them, not making things even worse.’
Paul Kaufman
Chair East London Humanists
