Liberty - Protecting Civil Liberties Promoting Human Rights : Asylum

ASYLUM
The rights and freedoms we campaign to protect belong to every person in the UK – to immigrants and those seeking asylum as much as to British citizens.

Some of the Government's immigration and asylum policies have undermined these basic rights. By denying support to those who do not apply for asylum at the earliest opportunity, many were led to destitution.

Liberty intervened in a case which established that denying the basic necessities of life to people who aren't allowed to earn, and so can't provide for themselves, constitutes 'inhuman or degrading treatment', prohibited by the Human Rights Act.

Since 9/11 we have seen an alarming tendency to treat counter-terrorism as a question of immigration control. This way the Government can appear 'tough' on terrorism without being 'tough' on the majority of the voting population. But this suggests that there is a connection between someone’s nationality and the question of whether they pose a threat to our security. This has fed community unrest, marginalisation and even violence against minority groups.
Press Releases
- Mother facing separation from her son seeks relief from Law Lords
- A Lebanese woman who fled an abusive husband to retain custody of their son is to ask the Law Lords to protect her human right to raise her son by halting her deportation.
- 18.07.2008
- Liberty calls for independent investigation into Harmondsworth disturbance
- On Monday 23 June, the High Court will determine whether an independent investigation must be held after vulnerable detainees were locked in flooded cells without food or water while fires burned during a disturbance in Harmondsworth detention centre.
- 20.06.2008
- High Court to consider public inquiry into Harmondsworth disturbance
- Liberty will tell the High Court tomorrow that vulnerable detainees were left in overcrowded, flooded cells without food or water while fires burned during a disturbance in Harmondsworth detention centre and call for a public inquiry into the incident.
- 03.03.2008
- Law Lords scrap Section 55 of Asylum Act in landmark ruling to spare asylum seekers from utter destitution
- The Law Lords determined today that denying asylum seekers benefits as well as the right to work violates human rights safeguards.
- 03.11.2005
- Asylum Family threatened with losing their children
- Liberty today added its support to calls for a national demonstration in favour of the Sukula family. The Sukulas face having their children taken into care under Section 9 of the 2004 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act.
- 07.09.2005

ASYLUM

Press Releases

Mother facing separation from her son seeks relief from Law Lords

Liberty calls for independent investigation into Harmondsworth disturbance

High Court to consider public inquiry into Harmondsworth disturbance

Law Lords scrap Section 55 of Asylum Act in landmark ruling to spare asylum seekers from utter destitution

Asylum Family threatened with losing their children

Harmondsworth: The Full Story

Harmondsworth: Take Action

Policy Briefings and Further Reading

Links