The Home Office has been accused of “blaming the victims” of asylum seekers after launching a plan to electronically label refugees arriving in the UK.
Ministers faced calls to abandon the “farce of a policy” after suggestions that those who recently avoided being sent to Rwanda after a legal challenge could be among the first to be labeled under the program.
With the 12-month pilot plan, which began last week, some of those arriving on board small boats from France or at the back of trucks will be labeled. The Interior Ministry has said the trial will examine whether electronic monitoring can help maintain regular contact with migrants and help move their claims forward. It will also collect data on how many people are fleeing their immigration bail.
However, critics said there was no evidence that asylum seekers fled. Clare Moseley, founder of the charity Care4Calais, said: “I think it’s outrageous. Refugees in general don’t run away. There’s no evidence that they did, they never did. “Why would they do that? They’re not criminals, they’re victims. Things happen to them. They didn’t provoke it. It’s just another part of the government criminalizing refugees, which is basically blaming the victims.”
Boris Johnson defended the plans on Saturday. He said it was important that people entering the country did not “disappear” from the system. “This is a very, very generous and welcoming country,” he said. “It’s also very good. I’m proud of it, but when people come here illegally, when they break the law, it’s important that we make that distinction. That’s what we’re doing with our Rwandan policy.”
Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock said the policy was “another desperate attempt to distract the public from the fact that, under this Home Secretary, asylum decisions have fallen on the backlog has grown and they are unable to cope with the criminal gangs. ” Labor leader Keir Starmer has accused the government of “persecuting headlines”.
Liberal Democrat spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “Conservative ministers have gotten into a complete mess because of this. The stench of incompetence is unbearable. “Everywhere you look today, the tide of protectionist sentiment is flowing.” It’s time to dump the British people.