Hysteria and hate

Refugees need protection not persecution

Refugees in Britain: special report

guardian.co.uk, Monday March 20 2000 01.45 GMT

It was Winston Churchill who suggested the best judge of a civilised nation was the state of its prisons. If he was alive today, he would almost certainly have to select asylum policy. In the wake of a jingoistic press and populist politicians banging their anti-foreigner drums, standing up for refugee rights requires bold political leadership. Alas, currently there is not much of that on show. An opposition, which still lags far behind in the polls, has not forgotten how many votes Margaret Thatcher won with her anti-immigrant policies. A right-wing tabloid press is only too happy to help, fanning fear of asylum seekers, and pouring contempt on politicians and pressure groups who attempt to defend their rights. Most miserable of all, ministers appear to be buckling now that the party's dreaded focus groups are suggesting the current asylum alarm is eroding support for the government. Since when were civil rights decided by pollsters? Few rights are more fundamental than the right to be free from persecution. That right should include freedom from being misrepresented by a rabid media.

Yesterday's Sunday Telegraph, a paper not noted for its staunch support of refugees, was fed some raw meat by someone within Whitehall who was seeking to appease the blood-lust. The front-page headline summed it up: "Immigrants who beg will be kicked out of the country". Radio interviews were filled by the ever-present Ann Widdecombe, who wanted asylum-seekers caught begging, locked up until their applications were resolved. Has it ever occurred to her that one reason they may be begging is because their benefits fall 30% below an already inadequate subsistence allowance? If she really had the taxpayers' interests at heart, she'd be calling for them to be paid a bit more and save on the £200 plus a week it costs to keep just one asylum applicant in custody. And she might have the humility to remember, that under her time at the Home Office, thousands of asylum seekers were waiting over five years for a decision.

Ministers should stop panicking. Increasing the speed at which asylum applications are processed is urgently needed, but not as a penalty against begging but as a basic humanitarian need to reduce the time applicants remain in limbo. Average waits have been cut to 13 months, but that is still far too long. More calmness, composure and compassion is needed at the top.