catinstalbans
Well-known member
A timely reminder that in a world crisis 79.5 million people across the world have been forced to flee their homes due to war or persecution due to race, religion or politics. This is the greatest number since official records began. The overwhelming majority live in camps close to their homeland in countries such as Bangladesh, Lebanon and Kenya often in conditions where the social distancing whether 1m or 2m is nigh on impossible and the basic hygiene conditions such as hand washing facilities are absent.
A tiny number seek refuge in the UK, usually because they have family or community connections.
Much has been made by many people that all lives matter. I'd like to think those sentiments were honestly held, at the very least here in the UK we should be acting in accordance with the international law we signed up to in 1951 and 1967.
This states that refugees have the right to housing, education and assistance, the right not to be punished for illegal entry into a country, the right to access the courts, and the right to freedom of movement.
In Glasgow this week refugees were attacked for protesting over housing rights, at Yarls Wood detention centre, there are multiple claims of sexual abuse, even Boris Johnson himself expressed surprise that refugees may have no recourse to public funds during lockdown, (of course he was then too lazy to actually do anything about it.). His Conservatives even voted down a previously agreed amendment to guarantee the rights of unaccompanied children to reunite with family members already residing in the UK.
We can not do everything to solve the refugee problem but we as a nation could ensure that humane standards are followed in our own land and if we do believe that all lives matter then we should support those organisations trying to ensure these standards (and legal requirements) are met.
A tiny number seek refuge in the UK, usually because they have family or community connections.
Much has been made by many people that all lives matter. I'd like to think those sentiments were honestly held, at the very least here in the UK we should be acting in accordance with the international law we signed up to in 1951 and 1967.
This states that refugees have the right to housing, education and assistance, the right not to be punished for illegal entry into a country, the right to access the courts, and the right to freedom of movement.
In Glasgow this week refugees were attacked for protesting over housing rights, at Yarls Wood detention centre, there are multiple claims of sexual abuse, even Boris Johnson himself expressed surprise that refugees may have no recourse to public funds during lockdown, (of course he was then too lazy to actually do anything about it.). His Conservatives even voted down a previously agreed amendment to guarantee the rights of unaccompanied children to reunite with family members already residing in the UK.
We can not do everything to solve the refugee problem but we as a nation could ensure that humane standards are followed in our own land and if we do believe that all lives matter then we should support those organisations trying to ensure these standards (and legal requirements) are met.
