As war and destruction continue in many countries – such as Syria and Iran – many asylum seekers continue to escape these war zones they used to call their home.
Many asylum seekers have managed to escape their dangerous living conditions and have found refuge in the UK. According to UNHCR statistics, “in 2018 there were 126,720 refugees, 45,244 pending asylum cases, and 125 stateless persons in the UK.”
As Brexit has been established and it is in the transitional period, it’s important to understand moving forward that this will not effect asylum seekers.
For new immigrants seeking to migrate to the UK for economic purposes, under the new law, they must speak English and be highly skilled in order to work in the UK. However, asylum seekers will still be protected under the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees and they will still be allowed to create an application.
Under the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees, “a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. This is now considered a rule of customary international law.”
Therefore, since an asylum seeker will still have the right to make an application they will not be at risk to be deported back to their home country until the application is completed and approved or denied.
Recently approved refugee Mohammed from Sudan, who is now studying English and is an IT at his UK college, told the Refugee Action organisation how claiming asylum and becoming a refugee made him feel.
“I felt the safety here. I felt that my life would be better.” – Mohammed
Many asylum seekers, like Mohammed, have been able to find their refuge in the UK. The process may be long and strenuous; on the other hand, the good news is these asylum seekers do have hope that they will still be able to find their safety here in the UK.
