There are many solutions to the problems in our asylum system, but they all begin with a sense of humanity apparently unknown to the present government (Priti Patel: Rwanda plan critics ‘fail to offer their own solutions’, 18 April).
Finding solutions means, first, accepting responsibility for those over whom the United Kingdom exercises authority and control; second, it means cooperating with France and other EU countries in providing protection for refugees; third, it requires working with the source countries of refugees to find ways of assisting their citizens, either to remain and work there, or to return in safety and dignity.
Fourth, if the asylum system is indeed broken, a solution that is based on humanity will not turn on refugees, but on the system that is not working; not the 1951 convention or human rights, but a dysfunctional Home Office that is now beyond repair. The solution here is to remove decisions from the Home Office and entrust them to an independent refugee and protection agency.
This is not a new idea, but it has never received the attention that it needs, because senior bureaucrats and politicians appear to enjoy playing football with others’ lives to generate the fears and apprehensions that are believed to be key to electoral success, or to open up contracts for the corporate “friends” of the government.
And finally, find another home secretary, preferably one who, unlike Priti Patel or Theresa May, is in touch with humanity.
Prof Guy S Goodwin-Gill
Emeritus fellow, All Souls College, Oxford University
• How to deal with people smugglers? Simple: allow people entry to the UK for the purpose of claiming asylum, as many other countries do, thus at a stroke removing the need for traffickers. Allow all refugees, not just Ukrainian ones, to work and claim full benefits immediately.
The £120m that has already been being paid to Rwanda could have been spent on additional Home Office caseworkers, enabling the enormous backlog of cases to be dealt with, and new cases to be determined in weeks rather than (in many cases) years. The appeals system is incredibly laborious, partly because Home Office caseworkers don’t have time to prepare responses, so cases are repeatedly adjourned.
Mike Lowenstein
Ludham, Norfolk
• Here is a solution that would work: we need to have a cooperative agreement with France and the EU to set up processing centres in France (or indeed elsewhere in the EU) where asylum seekers could get their claims assessed rapidly and efficiently. Anyone landing in a small boat in Britain would immediately be flown back to one of these centres. This would wipe out the criminal gangs that organise the crossings.
This would, however, mean an incredible culture shift in the Home Office, to becoming an organisation that exists to help people, not just to put barriers in the way of people.
Peter Brayne
Sheringham, Norfolk
• The UK is still receiving applications for asylum from Rwandans (13 were received in 2020, the most recently reported year). Is it the government’s intention that these will be sent to Rwanda for processing in future?
Charlie Owen
London
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