The Home Secretary has announced new proposals likely to be contained in yet
another asylum bill further attacking asylum rights. Days before the announcement
of draconian measures including prison sentences of up to two years for those
travelling without a passport, the Home Secretary announced a major amnesty
for those who applied for asylum before October 2000. The amnesty is likely
to affect up to 50,000 people, giving them indefinite leave to remain in Britain.
This is a vindication for campaigners who have stated that many of the government’s
proposals inflict misery upon asylum seekers while costing more than integrating
asylum seekers into the mainstream benefit system.
The proposals also seek to further limit appeal rights even though many asylum
seekers win leave to remain through the appeal system. Simultaneously, the
government proposes to reduce legal aid to asylum seekers to 5 hours. Asylum
seekers will have to pay privately for further legal support. A Law Society
survey states that 48% of practitioners will stop providing support to asylum
seekers as they would not afford to continue practising. The proposal will
also limit legal aid on immigration to 3 hours.