UK Immigration Bill to Force Refugees Into Poverty, Destitution

Legislative proposals by the U.K government will likely force refugees and asylum seekers into poverty and destitution, the British Red Cross warned on Monday.

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The country’s immigration Bill, which is currently moving through Parliament, is expected to further curtail levels of asylum support by eliminating payments for food parcels, clothing and small amounts of emergency cash. 

The number of people supported by the service has risen by more than 10 percent since the same period in 2015, when 2,975 people were seen, the agency said. 

“Cutting off this support, as the Immigration Bill proposes to do, is a red line that should not be crossed, ” Alex Fraser, director of refugee support at the Red Cross argued. 

The charity’s figures show that at least 3,373 refugees and asylum seekers in the U.K. have been destitute over the past three months.

Destitute refugees and asylum seekers are found across the U.K., with the Red Cross supporting people most frequently in Leicester, London and Birmingham, the Organization said. 

“These figures show that people who seek safety in the U.K. after fleeing conflict and persecution are increasingly at risk of becoming destitute in the most literal sense of the word,” Fraser added.

The legislative proposal also includes a measure that would remove statutory asylum support for asylum seekers with children who have exhausted their appeal rights.

Of those supported by the Red Cross, 12 percent have been granted refugee status by the Home Office. 

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