Thursday, January 14, 2010
Why most asylum seekers are genuine
Interesting research by Prof Heaven Crawley, of Swansea University's migration policy research centre today, which concludes that most asylum seekers are primarily concerned with escaping from persecution or war, and less than one-third of the research participants specifically wanted to come to the UK.
Rather than being economic migrants who had made their decision based on information about asylum systems, employment opportunities and access to welfare benefits as some people believe, three-quarters of the participants had no knowledge of welfare benefits and support before coming to the UK:
"These findings also strongly suggest that creating a tougher asylum system and harsher policies will not deter people fleeing persecution and violence in their own countries from coming to the UK," said Prof Crawley.
"Asylum policy making should be based on solid evidence such as that provided in this report rather than on unfounded assumptions and misperceptions about the reasons why people come here.
"This is the only way to ensure that the system is as accessible and humane as possible for people seeking protection."
Irrespective of the tabloid perception of asylum and immigration, Britain must not lose its reputation as a liberal and compassionate country which provides assistance to those fleeing persecution, a role that we have played for centuries and on which we built our economic wealth.
Rather than being economic migrants who had made their decision based on information about asylum systems, employment opportunities and access to welfare benefits as some people believe, three-quarters of the participants had no knowledge of welfare benefits and support before coming to the UK:
"These findings also strongly suggest that creating a tougher asylum system and harsher policies will not deter people fleeing persecution and violence in their own countries from coming to the UK," said Prof Crawley.
"Asylum policy making should be based on solid evidence such as that provided in this report rather than on unfounded assumptions and misperceptions about the reasons why people come here.
"This is the only way to ensure that the system is as accessible and humane as possible for people seeking protection."
Irrespective of the tabloid perception of asylum and immigration, Britain must not lose its reputation as a liberal and compassionate country which provides assistance to those fleeing persecution, a role that we have played for centuries and on which we built our economic wealth.
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"...a role that we have played for centuries and on which we built our economic wealth."
Do you mean low wages and exploitation?
So, somebody excaping from say a war torn country in Affrica lets say for example.....passes through or by many other countries to come to the UK for what reason? Must be the climate!LOL!
Do you mean low wages and exploitation?
So, somebody excaping from say a war torn country in Affrica lets say for example.....passes through or by many other countries to come to the UK for what reason? Must be the climate!LOL!
# posted by 
: 9:38 AM
: 9:38 AM
You're preaching to the converted in Welsh politics. It's interesting that to my knowledge there has never been a discriminatory statement about asylum seekers at the National Assembly, and that whenever asylum seekers have been discussed in the Assembly even the Tories are concerned with assisting them and providing their human rights, rather than attacking them.
This is a huge contrast to Westminster (where Plaid, the SNP and the Lib Dems are the only parties which don't criminalise asylum seekers), where you pretty much can't win a General Election unless you demonise asylum seekers and take reactionary positions in line with the English media.
This is a huge contrast to Westminster (where Plaid, the SNP and the Lib Dems are the only parties which don't criminalise asylum seekers), where you pretty much can't win a General Election unless you demonise asylum seekers and take reactionary positions in line with the English media.
# posted by : 10:49 AM
: 10:49 AM
Anon: no actually there is evidence to show that the Hugeunots for example played an important part in the economic development of the country.
Who said he's praching to the converted in Welsh politics. Once again somebody living in the political bubble completely out of touch with the electorate claiming to speak for them. So, Wales should become some kind of world assylym centre? There's around 3 million of us living here. There's 6 billion in the world most of which sadly live in poverty or worn torn countries or even both. Do we try and help a fraction of them? Let's have 1 billion of them in Wales. LOL! Where do you draw the line? You politician are idiots....but the people are slowly learing this.
Hugeunots? LOL! Which 'the country' is this? What did they do?
Hugeunots? LOL! Which 'the country' is this? What did they do?
# posted by : 11:39 AM
: 11:39 AM
I am not claiming to speak for anybody. I am merely putting across my view. the Hugeunots were French asylum seekers escaping religious persecution in the seventeenth century. I merely threw them as an illustration of immigrants who helped to drive forward the economy. There are many other examples.
I would disagree with Illtyd Luke's comments about Plaid being one of the parties not to criminalise asylum seekers - I understand that Saunders Lewis was very much against the "asylum seekers" who came to South Wales to escape the Blitz in London and the Home Counties.
# posted by : 3:14 PM
: 3:14 PM
Erm...anon 3.14 pm. I think Illtyd being the muppet that he is is talking about today. And you being anaother muppet don't seem to understand that Lewis had been dead for a long time and doesn't influence Plaid policy today and that the second world war has been over for over 60 years. You must be a Nulabourite to be so dim.
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# posted by : 6:56 PM
: 6:56 PM<< Home
