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Refugee Action alarmed by decision that Afghanistan is safe for civilians

Monday October 26th 2009

CIVILIANS fleeing the ongoing war in Afghanistan risk being turned away from British shores following a court ruling this week. According to a judgement by the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal, the level of violence faced by civilians in Afghanistan is not sufficient to grant Afghans humanitarian protection in the UK.

Turning down an asylum claim by a young Afghan man, immigration judges ruled that civilian casualty figures were not currently high enough to warrant protection under European law.

This ruling may lead to the deportation of thousands of Afghans that have sought sanctuary in the UK, as deportation to southern parts of the war-torn country could now be resumed.

Dan Hodges of Refugee Action, said: "This is a deeply worrying ruling. The statement that Afghanistan is not in a state of war will ring hollow in the ears of the families of those British serviceman who have been killed or wounded on service in that country. If Afghanistan is safe for return, then where is dangerous?"

Afghans currently account for the largest group of refugees in the world, with one out of every four refugees globally having fled Afghanistan. In 2008, a year in which civilian casualties reached an all-time high, Afghans accounted for the highest number of people applying for asylum in the UK (3,505 applications). However, in the same year only 100 received refugee status and just ten received Humanitarian Protection here.

Refugee Action has repeatedly expressed concern at the low proportion of people who are granted Humanitarian Protection, with less than 1 per cent of applicants receiving this status on initial decision in 2008. This recent decision suggests that in the future, people fleeing situations of conflict will find UK courts increasingly unsympathetic to their plight.

ENDS

For more information contact Dan Hodges on 0771 362 1252, Esme Peach on 020 7654 0673 or 07973 273 708, or at esmep@refugee-action.org.uk

Notes:

The full decision of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal can be found at: www.ait.gov.uk.
Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and support their settlement through community development work. As one of the country?s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 27 years? experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees and advised more than 40,000 asylum seekers and refugees last year. For more information, visit www.refugee-action.org.uk