Campaign and petition email responses

Fighting Anti-Refugee Laws

The proposals at the heart of the Nationality and Borders Bill are appalling - and the subsequent displacement of people from Myanmar, Afghanistan, and now Ukraine highlight as never before how utterly out of touch with reality this UK government is.

SNP MPs at Westminster have been vocal in speaking out against the UK Government’s hostile environment and its fixation with migration targets. SNP MPs opposed the Immigration Bill when it went through parliament and also voted against this damaging and anti-refugee Nationality and Borders Bill.

The anti-refugee Nationality and Borders Bill was nothing less than a full-frontal assault on the UK’s international obligations including the Refugee Convention. While humanitarian crises continue across the world, the Tories are essentially ripping up a convention that is there to provide sanctuary to those fleeing unimaginable horrors.

This Bill will target some of the most vulnerable groups in the world including victims of trafficking and modern slavery.

Recent events in Afghanistan and in Ukraine have also underlined the fact that in many cases, attempting to use safe and legal routes is simply not realistic and can place people at risk.

The danger is that this Bill will cause even more people to take dangerous journeys if safe and legal routes such as family reunion are taken away. Criminalising people is not the answer.

The SNP opposed this Bill every step of the way and despite it now receiving Royal Assent, the SNP will continue to press the Home Office for a far more welcoming approach and safe, smooth and quick ways for all displaced children and families to reach safety in the UK.