UK to open ‘legal routes’ to refugees, favoring Afghan women, Palestinians: ‘Honesty is what unites us’ | Today’s news
The UK is ready to welcome refugees from around the world, giving priority to Afghan women and girls as well as Palestinians as part of Britain’s renewed focus on “safe and legal routes” for vulnerable people to enter the country, AFP news agency reported.
The decision signals a change in British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s stance on asylum seekers after ending the Afghan resettlement program last year and introducing rules that would see refugee status subject to review for up to 20 years.
“Justice is what unites us”
“Justice is what unites us in this country. A just society is what unlocks the best in us. Because when people think this country is fair, they are more open and generous to others. When this country feels unfair, people turn inward. They become less willing to tolerate differences,” he says, according to The Guardian.
“I know that the British people have not abandoned their belief that we should be compassionate, live up to our international obligations and save the lives of those fleeing war and persecution.”
“But I also know that this process has to be limited and controlled and the communities have to be ready and able to welcome those who come here,” she added.
Britain’s refugee program will be reopened immediately
The scheme will reopen immediately and, along with the three new “community” refugee sponsorship routes previously announced, is initially expected to welcome hundreds of applicants, according to AFP.
Citing immigration experts, The Guardian newspaper said the number of people qualifying for the system was too low to deter migrants who cross the Channel in small boats from seeking asylum.
The program is likely to draw strong criticism from the right, as women, girls and people with disabilities are more likely to rely on state-provided welfare.
Housing Minister Angela Rayner, an influential Labor figure, said in a newspaper interview last week that she was concerned about some of the planned changes because they were “changing the bars”.
UNHCR, IRAP to identify eligible refugees
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) will be responsible for identifying refugees eligible under the scheme, according to The Guardian.
The program stopped accepting new referrals in December 2024, by which time only a very small number of people were using it. Mahmood is expected to announce its immediate reopening, with priority given to vulnerable women and girls as well as people with disabilities.
The program will also enable the reunification of immediate family members. However, following the government’s earlier decision to tighten the rules for family reunification, this provision will not apply to extended family members.
(With input from agencies)
