Scottish Government Raises Alarm Over UK-Wide Asylum Overhaul Proposals
Ministers in Edinburgh express deep concern that the planned UK reforms will undermine a humane system and pressure Scottish services.
The Scottish Government has warned it is “deeply concerned” by the sweeping asylum reforms announced by the UK Home Secretary, which would extend the period before permanent settlement to twenty years, impose regular status reviews every two and a half years and expand powers to seize assets from asylum applicants.
Under the UK-wide plan, refugee status would become more conditional, with the introduction of temporary protection subject to review and the possibility of deportation if conditions in an asylum seeker’s home country change.
The reforms also propose limiting accommodation and support for refused claimants and applying visa bans to states that refuse to take back their nationals.
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, criticised the change for failing to deliver “a controlled and humane asylum system” and urged the UK Government to engage properly and ensure that families are not left in limbo.
She emphasised the Scottish Government’s view that the reforms run counter to the country’s established approach to integration and protection for people fleeing persecution.
Concerns in Scotland are heightened by the pressure on local councils and public services.
Glasgow, for example, already hosts the largest number of asylum-seeker households in the UK outside London and has declared a housing emergency in part as a result of mounting costs.
Ahead of the reforms, Scottish ministers and councils say they still lack vital details on how increases in rapid processing and deportations will affect local budgets, health services and community cohesion.
While immigration and asylum remain reserved to Westminster, Edinburgh continues to press for meaningful consultation.
In recent weeks the Scottish Government has flagged frustration at being informed of decisions such as the use of military barracks in the Highlands for temporary accommodation without local consent or adequate detail.
Ministers there say the new UK proposals risk placing disproportionate burdens on devolved services and may conflict with international legal obligations around protection.
The UK Government now faces potential opposition from across the Scottish political spectrum as it seeks to legislate the changes in coming months.
Under the UK-wide plan, refugee status would become more conditional, with the introduction of temporary protection subject to review and the possibility of deportation if conditions in an asylum seeker’s home country change.
The reforms also propose limiting accommodation and support for refused claimants and applying visa bans to states that refuse to take back their nationals.
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, criticised the change for failing to deliver “a controlled and humane asylum system” and urged the UK Government to engage properly and ensure that families are not left in limbo.
She emphasised the Scottish Government’s view that the reforms run counter to the country’s established approach to integration and protection for people fleeing persecution.
Concerns in Scotland are heightened by the pressure on local councils and public services.
Glasgow, for example, already hosts the largest number of asylum-seeker households in the UK outside London and has declared a housing emergency in part as a result of mounting costs.
Ahead of the reforms, Scottish ministers and councils say they still lack vital details on how increases in rapid processing and deportations will affect local budgets, health services and community cohesion.
While immigration and asylum remain reserved to Westminster, Edinburgh continues to press for meaningful consultation.
In recent weeks the Scottish Government has flagged frustration at being informed of decisions such as the use of military barracks in the Highlands for temporary accommodation without local consent or adequate detail.
Ministers there say the new UK proposals risk placing disproportionate burdens on devolved services and may conflict with international legal obligations around protection.
The UK Government now faces potential opposition from across the Scottish political spectrum as it seeks to legislate the changes in coming months.
