Humanists UK welcomes repeal of laws placing humanist asylum seekers at risk

Humanists UK has welcomed the formal scrapping of the Rwanda deportation scheme and repeal of much of the Illegal Migration Act which placed humanist asylum seekers at risk.

These laws are being withdrawn via the introduction of the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill. However, it has expressed concern about new criminal laws that may inadvertently result in asylum seekers facing the sharp end of the law due to the Bill not providing any new safe and legal routes to asylum.

The Rwanda scheme sought to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. Humanists UK and others argued that the plan violated international human rights standards and risked the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals seeking refuge in the UK. This was due to the country’s blasphemy laws which would mean that humanists – among other religious minorities – would have been at risk.

The Illegal Migration Act set out a list of 57 so-called ‘safe’ countries that asylum seekers could be deported to. Alarmingly, this included 10 countries which according to Humanists International’s Freedom of Thought Report have prison sentences for blasphemy and apostasy. Deportees to these would also have placed humanist, minority religious, and LGBT asylum seekers at risk.

Humanists UK campaigned against both of these Acts as they passed through Parliament and highlighted wider human rights concerns about them. Many members of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group raised these concerns. Prior to the general election, Humanists UK met with the then Shadow Immigration Minister to call for the urgent repeal of these laws.

While the new Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill withdraws the cruel laws as described above, it also introduces new laws to tackle the people smuggling gangs. Many expert asylum charities as well as Humanists UK are deeply concerned that this could result in asylum seekers themselves falling foul of the proposed law. This is because the Bill does not offer any much-needed new safe and legal routes to arrive in the UK in order to gain asylum.

Humanists UK’s Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson commented:

‘We welcome the scrapping of the heartless Rwanda Act and much of the deeply concerning Illegal Migration Act, which we have long called for. These cruel laws undermined human rights and would have placed humanist and other asylum seekers at risk.

‘It’s vital that the UK upholds its international obligations to protect those fleeing from persecution so we call for the introduction of safe and legal routes for asylum seekers.’