LOCKING the doors on people who are flecing persecution is a central part of the Tories' Asylum and Immigration Bill. It panders to the right wing myth that Britain is choc-a-bloc with illegal immigrants posing as asylum seckers. called safe countries is an attempt to sanitise repressive and murderous reRefugees from these countries are vase as pausesce chance of staying.
The definition of a refugee changed. It is restricted to those who can prove they are victims of the agencies of the state, excluding those who are the attacked by opposition groups where the state is unahle to provide protection.
This is the case for example in Algeria. where Islamic fundamentalists have persecuted members of other groups anu in some cases nave pro nounced death sentences on them.
The February 5 changes to benefit regulations are designed to work handin-hand with the new fast-track appeal system.
Anyone losing their appeal after this date will not receive state benefits. This has not led vet to existine asvlum seek ers being thrown on to the street, but it will do soon.
Refugees entering the country must claim asylum immediately. Given that quickly and are in a state of fear it is hardly surprising that they do not claim Yet many people who claim asylum at the port of entry are immediately thrown into detention centres.
Other draconian measures in the bill —denial of housing to asylum seckers: checking of immigration status by housing officials; checks by employers on the immigration status of 10b applicants: greater powers for internal conCITY wanted to achieve consensus with the Tories through an all-party committee of enquiry.
Now they claim to oppose the bill. But it is difficult to get any commitment from front-bench spokespersons that a future Labour government will repeal the legislation and reverse the cuts in benefit. At the committee stage Labour MPs abstained.
Large numbers of black people are aware that the Tories" attack on asylum seckers and immigranis is also an attack on their right to be here as citizens.
We need'a broad-based anti-racist movement to fight back. It must be more than talking shop, going further than building one-off demonstrations.