As the daughter of child refugees who fled Nazi Germany, I agree wholeheartedly that the first principle of a civilised country’s asylum policy is that vulnerable people have the right to be heard (Editorial, 12 December).
Perfomative cruelty such as that demonstrated by the government’s Rwanda policy is completely dehumanising. I am pleased that the Guardian chose refugee charities for its Christmas appeal and support the Fair Begins Here campaign by Together with Refugees. This calls for protection for people fleeing war and persecution by upholding the UK’s commitment under international law, a proper strategy for welcoming refugees, and stronger global cooperation including through safe routes to refugee protection. The asylum seekers I have met of course want to be safe, have their claims heard and to contribute to society, as my parents did when they were welcomed here in the 1930s.
Helen Singer
St Albans
• After reading your report (One person dead after refugee boat in Channel runs into difficulty, 15 December), I turned to a French newspaper, Libération, and read an account of a statement on the event made in Calais by Gérald Darmanin, the French interior minister.
He said that he hoped to open negotiations with the UK government to establish “a legal route to entry into Great Britain”. Supporting the idea, Jean-Pierre Pont, a national assembly member for Pas-de-Calais, suggested that “at least a third of these migrants could be admitted to Britain without having to put their lives in danger”.
I wonder how closely the home secretary is in contact with his French counterpart, and to what extent such negotiations would be possible.
Dr John R Whittaker
Hedon, East Yorkshire
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