The UK asylum system is beset with problems. A lack of compassion, unjust decisions and constant delays are just a few of the issues that need to be addressed urgently.
Right now, more and more people seeking asylum are waiting longer than six months for a decision on their asylum claim. Without a decision, they are left waiting in limbo for months on end, some for years stuck in a system that dehumanises and damages them.
Today, in 2023, this must stop. Humanity must win.
People like Saira have been through the very worst
As a Bidoon living in Kuwait, she has been stripped of her nationality and human rights. She was then forced to go into hiding in the deserts of Kuwait for three years after being threatened by the authorities.
”They threatened me with prison. Lots of Kuwaiti Bidoons are missing now. After they take them to prison, nobody comes back.
Saira
Deeply concerned for her unborn child, Saira had no choice but to flee to safety.
Since arriving in the UK last year, Saira has been discriminated against and stripped of her rights. At her initial interview, the interpreter didn’t translate properly, laughed at her repeatedly and played a cruel joke by telling her she was in Canada.
She then discovered her asylum claim hadn’t been registered, even when she was reassured the proper procedures had been followed. She was then cruelly denied emergency financial support that she was entitled to.
It again felt like she didn’t exist, but thankfully Saira was put in touch with Refugee Action. We challenged decisions and ensured that she got the financial support she was entitled to as a person seeking asylum.
“I felt like I had
somebody to help me
when I needed it.
I felt supported.”
Saira
Now, she is still waiting to hear back about her claim and whether she’ll be sent back to face hell in Kuwait.
Your support is so crucial in helping more vulnerable mothers like Saira, who simply feel like they don’t exist and have been dehumanised by the asylum system.
Your gift today could help change everything for people seeking asylum, giving them the vital one-to-one support they need to fight for their rights and win.
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could help people like Saira to access the basic living allowance that they’re entitled to, so they’re not forced to live without essentials like a hot meal
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could train Asylum Crisis volunteers, so they can provide one-to-one support to people seeking asylum and help them navigate a complicated and confusing asylum system
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could help us campaign for a new, fair asylum system that treats refugees with the compassion they deserve
You can help us change lives
Please help us offer life changing support to desperate people like Saira who are enduring this struggle every day and help us prove that humanity can win. Thank you.