Working In Muddied Waters

One of the biggest difficulties faced by those working with asylum seekers is the confusion that reigns in the public consciousness. The term ‘asylum seeker’ is often misunderstood. Asylum seekers are routinely muddled up with economic migrants from the new EU countries in Eastern Europe, immigrants who have overstayed when their visas expired & others who have been illegally trafficked to the UK on the promise of a well paid job. Despite the best efforts of charities & caring individuals to disentangle the confusion, & despite a growing awareness in the general public of the unjustness of our asylum system, it sometimes feels like the water is muddier than ever.

This year there is an even greater challenge to keep the issues of asylum injustice – especially for those who have been made destitute – at the top of the agenda. What makes it so hard is that there are several very worthy causes competing for media & public attention. On the back of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, & supported by high-profile celebrities like Daniel Bedingfield, the Stop the Traffick campaign has successfully highlighted the plight of those trafficked to the UK. I pray that it will succeed in stopping a trade that has no place in a supposedly just society.

Then there is the Strangers into Citizens campaign which is calling for the regularization of those who have been working illegally in the UK for many years. While this campaign has merit, my concern is that it does nothing for those who have been refused asylum. Indeed, their cause is submerged amongst the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who keep our takeaways, restaurants & car-washes operating at a knock-down price. What an injustice it would be if economic migrants were allowed to stay, & those fleeing persecution were not!

That’s why we must take every opportunity to bring the issues of asylum injustice back where it is visible.

Recent reports on destitution have been immensely helpful in quantifying & qualifying the issue. The article in the Big Issue on Darfuris living on the streets of Manchester, & the God-inspired visit of Ian Duncan-Smith to our Eritrean women’s house have been important steps in raising awareness, & I would urge you to pray for these coming events, which may prove crucial to winning the battle both in the media & politics.

June 7th: I will be giving evidence at the Symposium on Persecution of Christian Asylum Seekers in London. Many Christian converts from other religions are being sent back to face persecution & perhaps death. Please pray that the Home Office will discontinue these deportations.

June 22nd: The Still Human Still Here campaign run by the Refugee Council is organising solidarity sleep-outs across the UK. Please pray for the Manchester Sleep-out to generate media coverage & public support.

October 17th: The Independent Asylum Commission comes to Manchester: topic for discussion – ‘Destitution’. There will be a lot of preliminary work to be done: please pray that the findings of this commission are incorporated into government policy. It could be the biggest breakthrough in our fight against destitution.

And thanks for your continued support & prayers – without you the work of the BOAZ Trust would be impossible!