Prime Minister Theresa May will confront the Home Office after it emerged it kept secret its “horrific” asylum policy, which has come under attack from former prime ministers and other senior politicians. This is due to domestic concerns that it may lead to
In an extraordinary ruling, the High Court last week concluded that the Home Office had implemented a secret policy affecting the asylum rights of at least 1,500 people who were found to be genuine victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Ministers secretly implemented a court ruling that confirmed victims of human trafficking and modern slavery should be given leave to stay in the UK while their asylum claims are pending. I heard you chose not to. Instead, the Home Office put such cases on hold for several months, banning those affected from working, renting, opening bank accounts or accessing mainstream benefits.
During the case, an internal Home Office memo showed officials were concerned about “how this case would play out.” [policy] It will be viewed by both stakeholders and senior MPs, particularly Iain Duncan Smith MP and Theresa May MP. ” Both former Prime Minister and Home Secretary Theresa May and former Conservative Party leader Duncan Smith have campaigned on behalf of victims of modern slavery.
Another Home Office disclosure said that automatically transferring such rights to trafficking victims would have “significant operational implications” and would “help clear the asylum legacy backlog by the end of December 2023.” There was an official warning that this could affect the ability of Rishi Sunak had promised to clear the backlog by the end of the year.
The revelations have infuriated both appointed Conservative Party leaders and are likely to lead to questions in parliament. A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said: “Firstly, the Prime Minister is appalled that many victims of modern slavery appear to be disenfranchised. “Secondly, she is appalled that many victims of modern slavery appear to be disenfranchised. She plans to write to the Home Secretary because she is concerned that he may have wanted to keep it hidden from the public.”
The findings caused widespread concern at Westminster. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “We've always known Conservative ministers in the Home Office to be ruthless, but it turns out they're spineless too.” Once again, their policies have failed vulnerable survivors. It is shameful that the Conservative Party has escaped scrutiny and is deliberately trying to hide this from the public. James Cleverley has serious questions to answer about why this happened and why Parliament was kept in the dark. ”
The issue came to light in November 2021, when a landmark High Court ruling ruled that trafficking victims awaiting asylum decisions should be granted temporary leave to remain in the UK, with some of the rights that come with it. arose later. A memo from Home Office officials soon after said that complying with the ruling would mean “individuals will be able to access mainstream benefits”.
A new court ruling last week accused the Home Office of failing to deal with these cases, which meant trafficking victims were unable to claim benefits or work freely. ing. The court found that the department effectively maintained a confidential policy of “withholding” decisions on such cases. This approach appears to have ended with new guidance in March 2023. The case was brought on behalf of an Albanian national who entered the UK after being kidnapped and forced to sell drugs in Albania.
Alison Pickup, director of Asylum Aid, whose rigorous investigation was praised by judges and led to the policy revelations, said: It was revealed that the Home Office operated a secret non-disclosure policy, and the victim was identified as a survivor of human trafficking.
“The intentional withholding of decisions not only left vulnerable people like clients at a loss, but also ensured that no one could learn about undisclosed policies and therefore be challenged. “It is appalling that this has happened to people who are most in need of stability, safety and dignity while they await the outcome of their protection claims.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We will look at the outcome of this judgment and consider its implications.” The suspension of decision-making for certain applications for Modern Slavery Discretionary Leave has been repealed and replaced on 30 January 2023. ”
