11May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Queen’s Speech: Government’s crushingly disappointing plans fail on every account

Queen’s Speech: Government’s crushingly disappointing plans fail on every account

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Queen's Speech, Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats commented: "We must rebuild as a fairer, greener and more caring country in the aftermath of Covid. So it is crushingly disappointing that the Government’s plans will fail on every account – still failing small businesses and the self-employed, still not rising properly to the climate challenge and still ignoring millions of people caring for loved ones at home. "Their planning reforms will rip powers away from local people and communities in favour of wealthy property developers, threatening our environment and treasured green spaces. Their cruel asylum plans will stop people fleeing violence and persecution, from seeking sanctuary in the UK. And long delayed reforms to social care have been pushed back into the long grass once…
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24Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Asylum changes: Breaking law a nasty habit for this Tory Government

Asylum changes: Breaking law a nasty habit for this Tory Government

Parliamentary news
In response to the "New Plan for Immigration" being set out by the Home Office today, Liberal Democrats Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “Priti Patel’s proposals aren’t just cruel, they undermine the UK’s commitments under the Refugee Convention. Breaking international law is becoming a nasty habit for this Conservative Government. “People fleeing war and persecution – as the vast majority of those claiming asylum in the UK have – don’t stop to check if their travel plans are OK with the Home Secretary. And nor should they have to. They must be welcomed with compassion, not treated like criminals. “Nothing Priti Patel is proposing today will solve the dysfunction at the heart of the Home Office. It won’t deliver dignity for asylum seekers or fairness for taxpayers. “Instead…
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23Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must commit to 10k refugees a year, Lib Dems say

Government must commit to 10k refugees a year, Lib Dems say

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrats marked the conclusion of their 2021 Spring Conference by calling on the Government to make a fully-funded commitment to resettle 10,000 refugees a year, in addition to 10,000 child refugees over the next ten years. It comes after weeks of intense scrutiny for the Home Office. An outbreak of COVID-19 at the Napier Barracks accommodation that was deemed ‘unfit for habitation’ by inspectors was shortly followed by the closure of similar accommodation at Penally Barracks. Plans then emerged that asylum seekers may be sent to a third country whilst processing their claim. Immigration Statistics for 2020 show that 823 refugees resettled in the UK last year - representing a fall from 5,612 in 2019. A further 7,546 people were granted asylum in 2020, which is a decline from…
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18Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government turns its back on asylum seekers again

Government turns its back on asylum seekers again

Parliamentary news
Responding to Home Office plans to send asylum seekers to another country to be processed, Liberal Democrats Spokesperson for Home Affairs, Alistair Carmichael MP, said: “It is disgraceful that Priti Patel is still peddling her unworkable and inhumane asylum proposals. She should be getting on with the job of fixing her dysfunctional department. “46,000 people have been waiting more than six months for a decision on their asylum claim. The problem isn’t with the asylum seekers, it’s with the Home Office. “We all want to stop people cramming themselves into small boats and making dangerous attempts to cross the Channel. But Priti Patel’s nasty, impractical policies aren’t the answer. The real solution is to provide safe and legal routes to sanctuary for refugees. “That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling…
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17Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government has treated asylum seekers appallingly

Government has treated asylum seekers appallingly

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Home Office decision to close Penally camp, a former military camp used as accommodation for asylum seekers, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael MP said: “The Government have had to be shamed into acting when anyone with an ounce of compassion would have done this weeks ago. They have looked the other way for too long as asylum seekers are forced to stay in inhumane accommodation. “The Conservative Government has treated these asylum seekers appallingly. True to their form during this pandemic, they have cut corners and ignored public health advice. Innocent asylum seekers have now been left to suffer. "Closing Penally Camp should just be the start. There can be no more delay on closing Napier Barracks. “Priti Patel must immediately find alternative accommodation…
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25Feb 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Almost 50,000 asylum seekers trapped in Home Office limbo for more than six months

Almost 50,000 asylum seekers trapped in Home Office limbo for more than six months

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling for the ban on asylum seekers working to be lifted, as new Home Office figures reveal that 46,796 people have been waiting more than six months for a decision on their claim. The latest Immigration Statistics, published this morning, show a backlog of 64,895 people with pending asylum claims at the end of 2020, an increase of 27% since 2019. 46,796 have been waiting more than six months for an initial decision from the Home Office, a 60% increase. Currently, asylum seekers are banned from working while they wait for a decision and forced to rely on asylum support payments of only £39.63 a week – just £5.66 a day. Responding to the figures, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “It beggars belief…
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01Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Tories’ nasty plans for asylum seekers not the answer

Tories’ nasty plans for asylum seekers not the answer

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the Home Office is considering converting disused ferries to process people seeking asylum in the UK, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “We all want to prevent people from making dangerous attempts to cross the Channel, but these absurd Home Office proposals are not the answer. "Tory Ministers are showing no regard either for the wellbeing of asylum seekers or the island communities they want to turn into detention camps. "Instead of coming up with ever more impractical, ever nastier ways of treating asylum seekers, the Government must restore safe and legal routes to sanctuary for refugees – especially unaccompanied children. "The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, and Liberal Democrats will not let the Government turn its back…
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28Feb 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Dramatic rise in asylum seekers waiting to work

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling for asylum seekers to be given the right to work, as new figures show a dramatic rise in the number who are still waiting for a decision on their claim months after applying. The statistics, published by the Home Office, show that at the end of 2019 29,218 people were waiting for an initial decision more than six months after lodging their asylum application. That represents a 76.5% increase since December 2018, and a six-fold increase since 2015. Asylum seekers are barred from working until they’ve been waiting for 12 months, and even then they are limited to the narrow list of jobs on the Government’s Shortage Occupation List. They are forced to rely on asylum support from the Government, worth just £37.75 per person per…
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