‘Supporting refugees doesn’t come at the expense of tackling poverty’

In May, I was elected as the youngest Mayor in Oxfordshire. In my first few months, I have seen inspiring examples of community spirit, but I’ve also seen the scale of need in our town. Families struggling with poverty, homelessness, mental health pressures, insecure work, and the rising cost of living. Sadly, over the last month, I have also seen the impact of rising political rhetoric once again scapegoating refugees.

In my town, we have a hotel where families are housed while waiting for a decision on their asylum case. These are families that are fleeing war, persecution, and violence. Many are traumatised by what they have endured, and their first experiences of our country should not be hostility or intimidation.

The truth is that most refugees arrive in Britain through safe and regular routes. Between March 2021 and March 2024, more than 230,000 people came via government resettlement and safe pathway schemes — from Hong Kong, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria.

By comparison, those arriving by irregular means, such as small boats, make up only a minority. But it is this minority that the right endlessly spotlight, whipping up fear to divide communities instead of addressing the bigger picture: Britain’s proud tradition of offering refuge.

‘Returning survivors of atrocity to regimes that persecuted to them runs counter to our values’

The facts are clear: most asylum claims are genuine. In 2023, 77% were granted at the first hearing, with many more succeeding on appeal. The overwhelming majority are eventually recognised as refugees — people with a well-founded fear of persecution who cannot safely return home.

I know this not only as a Mayor but also from my professional career in atrocity prevention. I have worked with survivors of war crimes and persecution, and their courage has left a lasting impression on me. I helped deliver the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) after the Taliban takeover, and I have seen what happens when safe routes are closed. Years ago, I spent time in the Calais “jungle” camp, where people with legitimate claims to asylum in Britain were left in desperate, unsafe conditions.

Last year I worked on the Hazara Inquiry, which documented systematic persecution of one of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable minorities. That is why recent Tory talk of deporting people back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan should alarm us all. To return survivors of atrocity to the very regime that persecuted them is not only reckless, it runs counter to Britain’s international obligations and the values our country claims to stand for.

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‘Britain’s long tradition of offering refuge is in danger of being lost’

The reality is that the asylum system is broken due to years of mismanagement which have left a huge backlog, with people stuck in limbo for months or years, banned from working and surviving on less than £10 a week. Meanwhile, communities are divided instead of supported.

The statement in the House of Commons this week from the Home Secretary underlined just how deep the crisis ran in the asylum system. It is right that reforms are now being made — faster decision-making, stronger action against traffickers, and agreements to facilitate returns of unsuccessful applications. But while these are necessary steps, the plan still feels too cautious. The scale of the backlog, the strain on local communities, and the lives wasted in limbo demand far more urgency and ambition.

There are at least 56 active armed conflicts across the globe, with civilians caught in the crossfire. Currently, only one of these has a safe and legal pathway to the UK for refugees. While this remains the case, people will feel they have little choice but to continue to cross into the UK through irregular routes.

The Home Secretary was also right to highlight Britain’s long tradition of offering refuge to those fleeing persecution. Yet that principle is in danger of being lost.

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‘Welcoming refugees and tackling poverty go hand in hand’

Ministers must make hard choices to fix a broken asylum system and Labour must take a different approach to past governments. We know that the answer is not scapegoating the vulnerable, but fixing the system: faster processing, proper housing, and safe routes so people are not forced into the hands of traffickers. Allowing asylum seekers to work will help contribute to the economy and them support themselves while their claims are decided. Reassessing the ban on working would not only strengthen our economy but reduce the financial burden on assessing asylum cases.

But we must also be clear: supporting refugees does not come at the expense of tackling the urgent challenges facing families across the country. Poverty, insecure housing, crumbling mental health services and the rising cost of living are issues that the last government failed to address and issues that Labour must put at the centre of government.

Welcoming refugees and tackling poverty at home are not competing goals. They go hand in hand. When given the chance to work and contribute, refugees strengthen our economy, fill vital roles in health and care, and enrich our communities. At the same time, Labour must deliver a programme that lifts families already struggling.

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