Congress motions

Motion

Motion title

Treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, The Rwanda Plan and the Nationality and Borders Act

Session

2021-2022

Meeting link

Annual Congress

Meeting date

3 June 2022

Status

Passed

Motion

44

Motion text

Congress notes:
1. The deplorable policy change of the Tory government in its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers with the announcement of further anti-migrant measures including a deal to remove asylum seekers, military operations against refugee boats, and a new UK detention centre to imprison refugees.
2. The ‘Rwanda Plan’ for offshoring asylum seekers and the passing into law of the Nationality & Borders Act (April 2022) that effectively ends the right to claim legal asylum in Britain and threatens the citizenship rights of 6 million people, marking a huge escalation of the government’s racist ‘hostile environment’.
3. That 10 months ago Britain publicly criticized Rwanda’s failure to properly investigate human rights abuses and to protect and assist victims of human trafficking.
4. That in Rwanda changing gender is illegal, adoption by LGBT+ couples is illegal, marriage of LGBT+ individuals is not recognised.
5. Although threats of obstruction by civil service unions and PCS support for a legal challenge, the government has abandoned plans for pushbacks targeting boats at sea, deportations and fundamental attacks on the rights of refugees must be opposed.
6. The Ukraine war and the Afghan crisis have exposed once again the government’s failure to respond adequately to humanitarian crisis.
Congress believes:
a. Visa restrictions should be waived for all those fleeing war, whatever their nationality.
b. it is incompatible with human rights to send LGBT+ asylum seekers who are seeking asylum in Britain to a country without basic rights for LGBT+ people.
c. the attempt by the UK to outsource asylum processing strengthens cultural xenophobia and impacts all migrants living and working in the UK.
d. Refugees are welcome in the UK
Congress resolves:
i. To work with refugee solidarity and antiracist organisations to campaign for the immediate withdrawal of the offshoring of refugees and the implementation of the Nationality and Borders Act.
ii. To campaign against the compulsory removal of all 'illegally' arriving people and their deportation to Rwanda, in defiance of the Human Rights legislation and the UK's international obligations.
iii. To campaign for intersectional equality issues to be fundamental considerations of the asylum process.
iv. Co-ordinate a public letter and meeting with other unions, condemning anti-migrant plans.
v. Call on the GS to write to MPs calling them to publicly condemn anti-migrant measures, and to support rolling-back existing legislation.
vi. support FDA and PCS members resisting the plan.
vii. advertise demonstrations on these issues and encourage branches to send delegations.
viii. establish links with unions and human rights defenders in Rwanda resisting offshoring.
ix. To campaign to say ‘All Refugees welcome here’.
x. To work with the TUC and other trade unions to inform our students and the public about the racist impact of such a policy and the serious harm this will cause in migrant communities.

Proposing body

Composite (Anti casualisation committee (ACC), Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), London regional committee, University College London (UCL), North West regional committee, West Midlands retired members branch)

Amended

No

Allocated to

Equality committee

Notes