Navigating the hostile environment
As you will be only too aware, in the first two months of 2023, the brutal context for refugees in the UK and in Europe continues to get worse.
We are devastated that 64 people lost their lives after an overcrowded boat sank off the Italian coast on Sunday, 26th February. Our thoughts are with their loved ones, and with the friends and families of the dozens who are still missing. This is another horrifying event in a string of preventable tragedies these past months alone. The UK, and fellow European countries, must act urgently in collaboration and compassion to create safe, legal routes for those seeking safety.
This tragedy comes at a time when we continue to see the rights and wellbeing of refugees disregarded in the following ways:
We are profoundly concerned by the news of hundreds of children going missing from Home Office-run hotels, many of whom are still unaccounted for. For any other group of children, this would be a matter of national prominence and outrage. Over one month after this news broke, we have seen no substantive action from the government to find and protect these children who remain under its duty of care.
The violent right-wing protests in Knowsley recently have been frightening for the young people we support. This has set a deeply worrying precedent for further violence, and we have developed risk assessments in the event of any such protest taking place at the hotels where we directly support young people. Government rhetoric remains alarming and dangerous, feeding into these protests and sentiments, and young people have described feeling like “animals” as a result of treatment received from Home Office and border control staff.
Home Office accommodation continues to be of great concern. Although the accommodation is intended to be short-term, young people are being held there for extensive periods, losing weight rapidly due to poor food quality, and experiencing ongoing negative impacts on their mental health. This is coupled with appalling reports of children as young as 14 being detained "unlawfully"* for over 24 hours at Manston asylum seeker processing centre in inhumane conditions.
The government continues to flout basic human rights, doubling down on intentions to send asylum seekers to Rwanda and prevent deportation appeals – despite expert analysis showing that the majority of people crossing the Channel in 2022 will be recognised as refugees.* In 2022, over 70% of the young people we supported were from countries with high acceptance rates.
The asylum backlog has now reached over 160,000 applications, up from 150,000 in December. In part this is due to an increase in arrivals, but it is largely due to the Home Office processing only 18,999 decisions in the whole of 2022, leaving refugees living in limbo and facing destitution.
With the Home Office now sending questionnaires to people from several countries with high acceptance rates in a bid to fast-track applications, we are concerned that this will include complex, potentially sensitive questions, currently only available in English. Recipients will have only 20 days to complete, or risk their asylum claim being withdrawn. This unnecessarily bureaucratic and abrupt approach neglects the complex needs of people seeking asylum in the UK and causes additional fear and threat. We are working hard to provide the best support possible to those receiving a questionnaire, and our staff team continues to provide vital emotional and practical support, enabling young people to understand and access their rights and feel heard.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update, and for your continued solidarity. In this increasingly difficult time for the young people we support, we are so thankful that you're here.
Jo Cobley
Chief Executive, Young Roots
* Guardian, 2023
* Analysis by Refugee Council, 2023