Refugees lobby MPs over asylum rule change
Asylum MattersA refugee who travelled to London for a protest outside Parliament said planned changes to the UK's asylum rules left migrants "insecure" about their future.
Omot Otor, who lives in Stockton but is originally from South Sudan, said the government's plans to double the time it takes migrants to achieve permanent residency meant he did not "feel safe anymore".
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to shake up the asylum system last year and said this was designed to curb an "unprecedented" rise in the scale of arrivals.
But Otor, who was joined by a refugee support worker from Gateshead, said the new rules could jeopardise his status and he had "lost all hope of settling" in the UK.
He said South Sudan had "never been at peace" and he moved to England to make a better future for himself.
"Every migrant here thought the UK would be their adopted country but unfortunately with the decision being made by the government, people feel insecure and they don't think of having a bright future," he said.
Otor was part of a group of refugees who lobbied MPs in London on Wednesday to oppose the changes.
They were joined by Myranda Flores from Gateshead Refugee Voices who said one of the main problems with the new rules would be the requirement for cases to be reviewed every 30 months.
"It will be very hard for us to integrate and to try to be part of a community when there is a lot of uncertainty and anxiety around our status, our existence and our livelihood," she said.
The Home Secretary previously said becoming part of the UK was a privilege and "one that must be earned".
Under her plans, the wait to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) would be extended from five to 10 years, while those relying on benefits for more than 12 months would face a 20 year wait.
The refugees spoke to a number of politicians including Labour MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East Kate Osborne, who said she did not agree with her party's policy changes and said the beauty of UK was its "diverse population".
She also disagreed with the decision to introduce an "earned settlement" system, which would require migrants to have the equivalent of an A-level standard in English language and earn above £12,570 a year.
"I think people shouldn't be judged on their qualifications," she said.
"They certainly should be able to contribute to society but that doesn't necessarily mean you need a particular piece of paper to do that."
Osborne said she would do whatever she could "as a back-bencher to fight" the government's plans.
