'The Forgotten Human Impact of Yvette Cooper's Cruel Anti-Refugee Policies'
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Yvette Cooper on Monday announced that the Government was suspending all refugee family reunion to the UK. This is a shameful decision that will have devastating consequences for the affected families and will do nothing to placate politicians like Nigel Farage, and the racists terrorising asylum hotels.
Contrary to Cooper's claims, UK family reunion rules are already extremely restrictive. Refugee sponsors can bring children or pre-flight spouses and no other family members can apply. This is simply not fit for purpose when assessing family dynamics for those fleeing conflict zones. Children are often orphaned in such settings, with older siblings taking on de facto parental responsibility. UK family reunion rules do not reflect this reality, and rather than closing down the scheme, any sensible government, focused on preventing dangerous journeys, would expand the scope of family reunion.
The limited scope of family reunion though is just one problem. Those in conflict zones usually cannot even submit applications. This is because they must attend a Visa Application Centre, and no such centres exist in Gaza, Sudan, Eritrea or Afghanistan. The last Conservative Government's position was that lone children should take dangerous cross-border journeys to neighbouring countries and attend visa centres. Depressingly, Labour is failing these children just as catastrophically.
EXCLUSIVE
Reform UK's Darren Grimes Under Investigation Over Fake AI Asylum Video of Keir Starmer
Grimes faces an official complaint to the council after using manipulated imagery and attacking asylum seekers as 'deviants'
Josiah Mortimer
Cooper justified suspending family reunion by arguing that refugees should wait longer before reuniting with loved ones, as this would allow them to find jobs and housing. Cooper herself is a parent and a partner. If she relocated to a third country, does she really think she would feel settled and able to flourish if her partner and children were living thousands of miles away. If she does, let's rephrase the question: does she really think she'd be able to flourish if her partner and children were living thousands of miles away in a warzone and every night she lay awake worrying whether they'd survive until the morning?
Cooper's Government is now waging a sustained campaign attacking asylum rights as they attempt to ward off the electoral threat from Reform. They've already banned refugees making irregular journeys to the UK from ever securing British citizenship. In July, they closed the Afghan resettlement schemes, one of the few safe routes to the UK. Last week, they reduced the move-on period for newly recognised refugees leaving asylum accommodation from 56 to 28 days. All of these moves are regressive, cruel and bound to fail on their own terms, preventing refugees from fully integrating into society, encouraging unsafe journeys and increasing refugee homelessness.
Nigel Farage has made clear he is happy returning refugees to face torture, death and execution. This was a chilling proposal from an elected politician, a clear violation of the absolute prohibition of torture and a repudiation of any sense of moral decency. Keir Starmer's response has also been pathetically weak. He didn't condemn Farage's support of torture, he just said Farage's plan wouldn't work.
Both main political parties are now trying to fight Reform on their territory, with a race to the bottom to propose ever more extreme and cruel immigration policies. Some of Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp's language has been truly dehumanising in recent weeks, as he and the Conservatives more desperately seek air time and attention.
Labour and the Conservatives cannot out-Reform, Reform. When either party proposes something more extreme, Reform will simply raise the stakes. And what ...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Yvette Cooper on Monday announced that the Government was suspending all refugee family reunion to the UK. This is a shameful decision that will have devastating consequences for the affected families and will do nothing to placate politicians like Nigel Farage, and the racists terrorising asylum hotels.
Contrary to Cooper's claims, UK family reunion rules are already extremely restrictive. Refugee sponsors can bring children or pre-flight spouses and no other family members can apply. This is simply not fit for purpose when assessing family dynamics for those fleeing conflict zones. Children are often orphaned in such settings, with older siblings taking on de facto parental responsibility. UK family reunion rules do not reflect this reality, and rather than closing down the scheme, any sensible government, focused on preventing dangerous journeys, would expand the scope of family reunion.
The limited scope of family reunion though is just one problem. Those in conflict zones usually cannot even submit applications. This is because they must attend a Visa Application Centre, and no such centres exist in Gaza, Sudan, Eritrea or Afghanistan. The last Conservative Government's position was that lone children should take dangerous cross-border journeys to neighbouring countries and attend visa centres. Depressingly, Labour is failing these children just as catastrophically.
EXCLUSIVE
Reform UK's Darren Grimes Under Investigation Over Fake AI Asylum Video of Keir Starmer
Grimes faces an official complaint to the council after using manipulated imagery and attacking asylum seekers as 'deviants'
Josiah Mortimer
Cooper justified suspending family reunion by arguing that refugees should wait longer before reuniting with loved ones, as this would allow them to find jobs and housing. Cooper herself is a parent and a partner. If she relocated to a third country, does she really think she would feel settled and able to flourish if her partner and children were living thousands of miles away. If she does, let's rephrase the question: does she really think she'd be able to flourish if her partner and children were living thousands of miles away in a warzone and every night she lay awake worrying whether they'd survive until the morning?
Cooper's Government is now waging a sustained campaign attacking asylum rights as they attempt to ward off the electoral threat from Reform. They've already banned refugees making irregular journeys to the UK from ever securing British citizenship. In July, they closed the Afghan resettlement schemes, one of the few safe routes to the UK. Last week, they reduced the move-on period for newly recognised refugees leaving asylum accommodation from 56 to 28 days. All of these moves are regressive, cruel and bound to fail on their own terms, preventing refugees from fully integrating into society, encouraging unsafe journeys and increasing refugee homelessness.
Nigel Farage has made clear he is happy returning refugees to face torture, death and execution. This was a chilling proposal from an elected politician, a clear violation of the absolute prohibition of torture and a repudiation of any sense of moral decency. Keir Starmer's response has also been pathetically weak. He didn't condemn Farage's support of torture, he just said Farage's plan wouldn't work.
Both main political parties are now trying to fight Reform on their territory, with a race to the bottom to propose ever more extreme and cruel immigration policies. Some of Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp's language has been truly dehumanising in recent weeks, as he and the Conservatives more desperately seek air time and attention.
Labour and the Conservatives cannot out-Reform, Reform. When either party proposes something more extreme, Reform will simply raise the stakes. And what ...
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