Groups say Home Office campaign targeting illegal immigrants will generate hostility and intolerance
Human rights organisations have said the government's targeting of illegal immigrants over the past two weeks is creating a climate of fear and intolerance that threatens to put race relations back decades.
Amnesty, Refugee Action and Freedom from Torture say in a letter published in the Guardian that the Home Office's Go home campaign, which saw vans touring six London boroughs urging those in Britain illegally to "Go home or face arrest", was a cynical ploy that would foster hostility to minority groups and undermined the UK's "commitment to provide sanctuary under the Refugee Convention".
The charities say the immigration spot checks, which have seen officials stopping people at tube stations in the capital to check their immigration status, are severely damaging race relations.
"As organisations with expertise in supporting people who are seeking protection in the UK, we deplore the highly controversial advertising campaign delivered on the side of vans driven through selected London boroughs," the charities say. "The 'illegal immigrants go home campaign' is cynical and giving rise to a climate of fear. The heavy-handed 'stop and search' activity outside London tube stations harks back to a period before the Lawrence inquiry and raises questions about racial profiling in immigration control."
The intervention reflects growing concern about the government's hardline initiative amid fears that it will demonise whole sections of society and inflame community tensions.
The Go home van scheme, which was trialled for one week, has been widely criticised by religious groups, trade unions and politicians across the political spectrum. The business secretary, Vince Cable, labelled it an offensive stunt and the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, described the tone as "nasty, unpleasant, Big Brother". Earlier this week the campaign group Liberty drove a van round the same six boroughs with a billboard on the side reading: "Stirring up tension and division in the UK illegally? Home Office think again."
There was also an angry reaction to the immigration spot checks – and the Home Office decision to issue press releases and Twitter updates saying how many "immigration offenders" had been arrested, apparently prejudging their guilt.
Ministers will evaluate the initiative in the autumn and have not ruled out extending it to other parts of the country. But they are already facing a challenge in the courts, and the three charities say the hardening rhetoric may breach the government's wider legal obligations.
"The Home Office is bound by a positive duty under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. It is also responsible for assessing and determining the protection needs of the people who come to this country fleeing persecution. This campaign will generate hostility and intolerance in our communities, risks undermining the UK's commitment to provide sanctuary under the Refugee Convention and should end now."
The immigration minister, Mark Harper, defended the government's tactics, saying that while immigration was a fundamental part of "who we are" and had brought benefits to the UK, "uncontrolled immigration has caused a range of problems".
He said: "Recent street operations in London were intelligence-led and involved immigration officers talking to people in the local area and, where there was a reason to do so, asking questions in relation to immigration status... Although we do not often run these kinds of operations, it is not a new way of working."
But charity bosses accused the Home Office of inflaming the situation further in some of its recent statements. A press release about six people who were picked up in the back of a lorry in Calais described them as "would-be illegal immigrants". The charities said: "[They] were in fact six Syrian nationals fleeing the violence and conflict back home, in an attempt to seek safety in the UK … The use of the term 'illegal immigrant' in this context is offensive, inaccurate and misleading and fails to distinguish between the various individuals caught within its net, including asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and survivors of torture."
The Home Office said people should claim asylum in the first country they reach, adding: "Anyone who tries to circumvent immigration controls to enter the UK is breaking the law." Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 days ago.
Human rights organisations have said the government's targeting of illegal immigrants over the past two weeks is creating a climate of fear and intolerance that threatens to put race relations back decades.
Amnesty, Refugee Action and Freedom from Torture say in a letter published in the Guardian that the Home Office's Go home campaign, which saw vans touring six London boroughs urging those in Britain illegally to "Go home or face arrest", was a cynical ploy that would foster hostility to minority groups and undermined the UK's "commitment to provide sanctuary under the Refugee Convention".
The charities say the immigration spot checks, which have seen officials stopping people at tube stations in the capital to check their immigration status, are severely damaging race relations.
"As organisations with expertise in supporting people who are seeking protection in the UK, we deplore the highly controversial advertising campaign delivered on the side of vans driven through selected London boroughs," the charities say. "The 'illegal immigrants go home campaign' is cynical and giving rise to a climate of fear. The heavy-handed 'stop and search' activity outside London tube stations harks back to a period before the Lawrence inquiry and raises questions about racial profiling in immigration control."
The intervention reflects growing concern about the government's hardline initiative amid fears that it will demonise whole sections of society and inflame community tensions.
The Go home van scheme, which was trialled for one week, has been widely criticised by religious groups, trade unions and politicians across the political spectrum. The business secretary, Vince Cable, labelled it an offensive stunt and the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, described the tone as "nasty, unpleasant, Big Brother". Earlier this week the campaign group Liberty drove a van round the same six boroughs with a billboard on the side reading: "Stirring up tension and division in the UK illegally? Home Office think again."
There was also an angry reaction to the immigration spot checks – and the Home Office decision to issue press releases and Twitter updates saying how many "immigration offenders" had been arrested, apparently prejudging their guilt.
Ministers will evaluate the initiative in the autumn and have not ruled out extending it to other parts of the country. But they are already facing a challenge in the courts, and the three charities say the hardening rhetoric may breach the government's wider legal obligations.
"The Home Office is bound by a positive duty under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. It is also responsible for assessing and determining the protection needs of the people who come to this country fleeing persecution. This campaign will generate hostility and intolerance in our communities, risks undermining the UK's commitment to provide sanctuary under the Refugee Convention and should end now."
The immigration minister, Mark Harper, defended the government's tactics, saying that while immigration was a fundamental part of "who we are" and had brought benefits to the UK, "uncontrolled immigration has caused a range of problems".
He said: "Recent street operations in London were intelligence-led and involved immigration officers talking to people in the local area and, where there was a reason to do so, asking questions in relation to immigration status... Although we do not often run these kinds of operations, it is not a new way of working."
But charity bosses accused the Home Office of inflaming the situation further in some of its recent statements. A press release about six people who were picked up in the back of a lorry in Calais described them as "would-be illegal immigrants". The charities said: "[They] were in fact six Syrian nationals fleeing the violence and conflict back home, in an attempt to seek safety in the UK … The use of the term 'illegal immigrant' in this context is offensive, inaccurate and misleading and fails to distinguish between the various individuals caught within its net, including asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and survivors of torture."
The Home Office said people should claim asylum in the first country they reach, adding: "Anyone who tries to circumvent immigration controls to enter the UK is breaking the law." Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 days ago.