Thread by @RefugeeAction

We know that the asylum system is failing people seeking safety. But the changes proposed by @pritipatel are a wrecking ball to the right to claim asylum and will deepen the injustices we already see. It's the biggest attack on the right to claim asylum we've ever seen in the UK.

People fleeing for their lives have little choice in how they seek safety. There is no ‘wrong type’ of refugee. But these reforms punish refugees for how they enter the country, creating one rule for some, and a different rule for others.

People seeking asylum are already demonised while desperately trying to navigate a complex system. Creating a divide based on how people try to reach safety will further fuel the harassment, violent attacks and hate crimes people already experience.

People should be treated with compassion. If the Home Office truly wants a system that is humane, they should be creating a system that is focused on protecting the vulnerable.

People seeking asylum already spend months, if not years, waiting for a decision on their claim. The new proposals will subject people to even longer waiting times, in conditions which will further isolate them and erode their mental health.

People should be given the best possible chance for a fair and timely decision that is right the first time.

The current asylum system leaves people facing destitution and banned from any means of supporting themselves. Many are left hungry and homeless because they are not given the support they need to live with dignity. These proposals will make a lack of support the default.

But dignity should be the default. Everyone deserves safe and dignified accommodation, enough food and essentials to live, and the right to work and contribute to their community. Our asylum system should offer these basic human rights to everyone, regardless of how they arrive.

The Gov's proposals also mean that people who are granted refugee status will only have this temporarily. The current system already leaves people at huge risk after receiving an answer on their claim. These changes will mean that people will never be able to feel truly safe.

A fair system means people are given the support they need to restart their lives, whatever the outcome of their asylum claim – not left in endless limbo, waiting for the moment they may again have to face the danger they fled.