Our hostile Government is wildly out of step with public opinion towards refugees

At a time when the British public has made clear their desire to help refugees, politicians are voting to make it a criminal offence for some refugees to arrive in the UK and we need to stop them.

The most heartening scenes of humanity I have witnessed took place on a street a ten minute’s walk from my flat in Glasgow.

One morning in May last year, a group, mainly dressed in working from home pijammas like myself, united to to stop their neighbours being taken away by immigration.

The crowd and humanity grew as chants like “refugees are welcome here” filled the air with a strong sense of unity and defiance towards a system of governance which did not echo the hearts of Glaswegians.

Protest against the Borders Bill in Glasgow, Buchanan Street (Photo: John Devlin).

Yet now, this hostile UK Home Office presence is striking once again and threatening the core principles of humanity Scots stand proud to protect.

On Tuesday, the House of Commons voted clause 11 of the Nationality and Borders Bill – one of “the cruellest parts” of the “Anti Refugee Bill” as described by the Scottish Refugee Council – will go through to the final stages.

If passed into law, this will punish people fleeing torture with a penalty of up to four years in prison just because they made their own way to safety through what the Government has described as “irregular journeys.”

People dance at a protest in Glasgow's Buchanan Street about the new Borders Bill (Photo: John Devlin).

MPs also voted against an amendment from House of Lords which sought to protect the UK's commitment to uphold the UN Refugee Convention.

“The Borders Bill is the biggest threat to refugee rights we’ve seen in this country in decades.” said Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council, “I don’t think the government can ignore this, or push through legislation so out of step with public opinion and the international response to the Ukraine conflict.”

People and organisations such as Together with Refugees were devastated at the vote during a time the UK Government is claiming there are doing “all they can” to help those fleeing Ukraine.

However, my hope is this will incite defiance similar to those who took action in their jammies on Kenmure street.

The legislation is so wildly out of step with public opinion that the UK Government has to fail and, fundamentally, we must not let them get away with it.

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