news > news releases

REFUGEE ACTION'S RESPONSE TO THE LAUANCH OF THE ASYLUM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Thursday July 29th 2010

REFUGEE Action today welcomed the launch of the Asylum Improvement Project, an eight-month review of the asylum system, which was announced by Immigration Minister Damian Green.

The minister told a meeting of the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum that the Asylum Improvement Project aims to make the system faster and cheaper, and at the same time improve the quality of decisions.

As part of the review, the minister announced that although the target to deal with most asylum claims within six months will be scrapped, he still expected that the vast majority of cases will be dealt with well within six months. The removal of the target means that complex and sensitive cases are not overlooked in the interests of expediency.

Jill Roberts, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said: "We really welcome this review. It?s a real opportunity to look at how the system can be improved as a whole and to ensure that good quality decision-making is at the heart of the asylum system. The right to sanctuary for those fleeing persecution must be upheld. It is also extremely important that people seeking asylum, and the general public, have full trust and confidence in the system. We look forward to feeding into this process to ensure that the asylum system is fair, humane and robust."

ENDS

For more information, photographs and interviews contact Julia Ravenscroft, Press Officer at Refugee Action, on 0161 831 5454/07771 748 159.

Notes:

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 28 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