The UK is already the only country in Western Europe to apply indefinite detention. Rather than most people who are detained who count down to their release, migrants have to count up with no idea when they may be released. That takes a severe physical and mental toll. 1/
Now, instead of tackling this costly and inhumane process Priti Patel is looking to bring in new policies which are likely to exacerbate the issue and leave many asylum seekers living in limbo. Offshoring doesn't change this, it just shifts it somewhere else. 2/
Imagine that you had fled persecution. You have been have multiple challenges as you try and find somewhere you feel safe enough to attempt to rebuild your life, and instead of being supported you are locked up with no idea when you may be released. 3/
Last thing UK needs is to increase detention of asylum seekers, particularly with "out of sight, out of mind" policies shifting responsibility to countries with less developed infrastructure. It's #Time4aTimeLimit and stand #Togetherwithrefugees. Not outsource them elsewhere. 4/
These aren't new policies though. Blair looked at offshoring asylum seekers. The plans were unworkable then and they are unworkable now. Firstly, you need the country you want to move them to to accept, something in this case which Rwanda has not. 5/
https://twitter.com/NickWhithorn/status/1409273401869488129?s=20
Then there is the matter of cost. We see a lot of arguments from anti-asylum groups claiming we need to "tackle channel crossings" because of amount asylum seekers cost UK taxpayer. Okay, what about that? Well it costs about £392million per year for immigration enforcement. 6/
In what world does anyone really think having to finance the construction and management of an offshore processing facility will bring costs down? We have already seen for example that the company which ran Napier stood to earn about £1billion for two camps over ten years. 7/
The use of Napier was recently ruled unlawful due to the conditions which asylum seekers were held in, despite the company standing to earn £50 million per year for it. How will that translate to outsourcing the running of camps in a developing nation? 8/
None of these plans stop asylum seekers trying to reach safety. The EU has spent billions on what are called "externalisation measures" to achieve the same ends. Billions and yet here we are trying to throw more money at "deterring" people, because those policies are flawed. 9/
There is a solution though. A solution which unlike the current proposals doesn't cost an exorbitant amount, violate international law and deny people their rights. It's to open safe routes for asylum seekers. That really is the only solution right now. 10/
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