Thread by @stand_for_all

Thread: What we are most likely seeing at the moment is a "re-equilibrium" after the drop in asylum applications caused by limitations created by the pandemic, such as global border closures. 1/

theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/f…

Two things here though, this is the first time these statistics have been published, that means you can't really measure them against anything meaningful, and people seeking safety isn't really something which should be criticised here, I'd argue. 2/
gov.uk/government/sta…

Context is kind of important when looking at figures like this, so words like "just" and "only" are singularly unhelpful. You need to look at the wider picture. 3/

A wider picture which, for example would include the measley 2% rise in decisions, despite previous drops. Or it could factor in the fact that people seeking asylum have not been able to reach the UK due to that not insignificant little thing of a global pandemic. 3/

However you try and cut it, today's figures show the UK still takes far fewer refugees than other countries, such as France. It is woefully slow through institutional failings to process claims, and the few people who do seek asylum in the UK won't be "deterred" from doing so. 4/

Issues with border controls may mean that they take longer, but the motivating factors, mainly language and family ties, mean they will still try. What they also show is that nearly everyone who crosses the channel seeks asylum, and the vast majority are granted it. 5/

The #NationalityandBordersBill would effectively criminalise those individuals, which the Home Office's own statistics show are "genuine refugees". With the potential of more people seeking asylum due to the #UkraineRussiaCrisis, it is essential...6/

that today's figures are not just quoted as statistics, and are instead placed in context. Context shows the UK still takes fewer refugees than other countries. That those seeking asylum do so for good reason and won't be "deterred" and that most people seeking asylum need it. 7/