December 23, 2021
Cited article by Andrew Sparrow, The Guardian
HRRC condemns the proposal of tagging asylum seekers. Creating additional barriers to integration and ostracizing those seeking asylum in the UK, by whatever means, can only lead to further discrimination. Additionally, penalizing asylum seekers does not deter their entrance to the country; it only makes their journey more difficult.
Article Summary
The UK Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to announce new plans regarding asylum seekers crossing the Channel to enter the country. The plan will entail tagging asylum seekers, forcing all entering asylees to wear tags while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed. This tagging is being proposed as a method to prevent these particular individuals from working illegally in the UK, and from leaving the country during the asylum process.
This is the most recent in a continuing trend of proposals and policies calling for the criminalization and punishment of those arriving by illegal means and seeking asylum. For example, the recent announcement of the Nationality and Borders Bill is an effort to make it a criminal offense to enter the UK illegally, and could even apply a life sentence to those individuals found guilty. Critics state that this method of criminalization will not deter illegal asylum seeker entry, and in order to best address the issue the government must allocate resources to new, safer methods for asylees.