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Immigration and asylum – where’s the compassion, dignity, respect for human rights?

Kate Nevens on why compassion, dignity and human rights should be at the heart of our immigration and asylum system.

The Scottish Greens want the UK to be a friendly and welcoming place for all people, regardless of where they come from. But the truth is, for many immigrants and asylum seekers that’s just not the case right now.

The anti-immigration sentiment whipped up by right-wing politicians in the name of Brexit has created a hostile environment which is against everything that we stand for as an inclusive party.  The appalling, racist acts of the UK Home Office – from the Windrush Scandal through to the vans emblazoned with hateful deportation messaging – need to be stopped. 

We recognise the enormous contribution that our international siblings make to the UK, not just economically but socially and culturally. Part of the reason we’re standing in this election is because we are dismayed at the way your rights and dignity are being eroded. We will not stand by quietly and let that happen.

The Scottish Green Party will fight to ensure that European citizens maintain the rights to live and work in the UK, and make sure that everyone who lives here, regardless of nationality, has access to health, education, social care, housing, employment and social security services. 

We will also campaign heavily for a more just and humane asylum system, one where refugees can seek safety in our country more easily and be reunited with their families. We want to see an end to immigration detention, and an end to the degrading, traumatising treatment of asylum-seekers by the home office. 

Vote Green on 12 December for a new kind of politics.


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