UN refugee agency warns trafficking victims overlooked under U.K. asylum system

Following an in-depth audit of the U.K.’s asylum system, the UN refugee agency has expressed its concern over flaws in the system that lead to vulnerable people including trafficking victims being overlooked.

A flawed asylum system

Home Office staff tasked with processing asylum claims were discovered to be overworked with insufficient training leading to poor decision-making with disastrous consequences for people seeking asylum.

David Hughes in the Evening Standard reports:

The report said that the UNHCR “observed or was told about numerous risks to the welfare of asylum-seekers, including instances of trafficking and vulnerability being overlooked and teenage children and victims of torture and trafficking being detained”.

Staff reportedly worked in a pressurized environment under current screening and reporting requirements with the system “frequently [failing] to achieve its goals”. Records were often incomplete or incorrect and laws were not being complied with. 

Furthermore, interpreters were made responsible for important parts of screening interviews and there was a lack of consistency across different locations. The UNHCR’s report questions the quality of decisions made on people’s asylum claims indicating a clear need for greater care to be taken in the U.K.’s asylum screening process. 

People seeking asylum are being failed

This is made all the more urgent given the passage of the Refugee Ban Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament. Anyone who reaches the U.K. through an irregular route would be barred from claiming asylum, including trafficking victims. Victims of modern slavery risk being overlooked entirely under provisions set out in this legislation and denied the support they need. The UNHCR has made it clear that this would against international standards and that the Bill is inconsistent with the U.K.’s obligations under the Refugee Convention.

The majority of people needing to seek asylum in the U.K. must reach the country through an irregular route as there is no humanitarian visa that people can apply to and there is no provision in the Refugee Ban Bill that proposes a safe route for people to reach the U.K. Alarmingly, the bill also proposes sending people seeking asylum to Rwanda with little oversight on whether this would be a safe country for them.

In light of this, it is absolutely crucial that the government at least ensures the asylum screening system is fair, reliable, and functional.

Vicky Tennant, UNHCR Representative to the United Kingdom, said: 

“Fair and efficient asylum systems help ensure that refugees are able to access the protection they need and to start rebuilding their lives.

Take action!

Evidence shows that when people crossing borders are forced to take irregular routes, they are at greater risk of exploitation and trafficking as a result of having to circumnavigate tightly restricted borders. That’s why we’re urgently calling on the U.K. and all governments to ensure safe migration for all. Sign the petition today!