Frlom The Refugee Council

PROTECT REFUGEES RIGHTS CAMPAIGNERS UPDATE ...IN THIS ISSUE...

CAMPAIGNING - Response so far and presentation to Downing Street
LOBBYING - Government, EU, International policy work
ACTION - What you can do
REFUGEE VOICES - What does the Convention mean to you
 

NICK HARDWICK, Chief Executive writes

In its fifty years, the Refugee Convention has helped to protect millions of ordinary people from oppression. But protecting the Convention is not just about honouring the past, its also about our commitment to human rights in the future.

For many people, the Convention will one day be the difference between safety and persecution. Without the responsibilities that the Convention places on countries like the UK, these future victims of torture and genocide will no longer be able to reach freedom.

Your help in protecting the Convention will be critical. Each update will have action points - so you can join us in working for a better understanding of the importance of the Refugee Convention. We believe that your voice, joined with ours, cannot be ignored.
 

CAMPAIGNING - response so far

Response to the campaign has been extremely encouraging. We have distributed thousands of cards and so far have collected over 4,000 pledges. We will be presenting the cards to Downing Street on 27th July, marking the actual 50th anniversary of the Convention.
 

LOBBYING - The new Government

The campaign was one of the issues discussed in the first meeting between the Refugee Council and Lord Jeff Rooker, the new Government minister responsible for asylum issues.

Lord Rooker also spoke at a meeting on 26th June, organised by the Refugee Council in the House of Commons, where he heard many people express concern that Government policies were having the effect of undermining the Convention.
 

LOBBYING - International Policy Work

The Refugee Council continues to influence the development of asylum policy in the EU and international fora, including UNHCRs global consultations aimed at re-invigorating the Convention.

In June 01, the Refugee Council represented 72 members of the European Council for Refugees and Exiles at a regional UNHCR meeting in Budapest to discuss the idea of 91safe third countries, which Governments use to justify their refusal to consider asylum applications on the grounds that they could have been made elsewhere.

Refugee organisations are concerned that states are using the concept to avoid their responsibilities under the Refugee Convention and that such policies result in 91chain return to countries least able to cope.

On the European Union front, the Refugee Council will be helping to persuade the influential House of Lords EU Committee of the threats to refugee protection contained in a new proposal for asylum processes. In particular, the Committee agreed that the use of lists of 91safe countries of origin may mean that many cases will not be fairly examined and therefore risks people being returned to countries where they may be in serious danger.
 

ACTION - What you can do

Protecting refugees rights should be an aim for all MPs, whichever political party they belong to. Writing a letter to your MP is a very simple and effective way of supporting the campaign. In writing to your MP, you can inform him or her of the importance of the Convention and seek his or her support. Sample letter:

DEAR MP,

Congratulations on your election. As a constituent, I am writing to you because I believe the right to asylum is a basic human right. It is a right that is enshrined in the 1951 Convention on Refugees, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year.

The Refugee Convention was drawn up following the horror of the Holocaust. Since then it has helped to protect millions of ordinary people. Some have been tortured, others imprisoned for no reason, but all have been persecuted.

I would like to know whether you agree with me that we must do all we can to enable refugees to exercise the right to seek asylum from persecution - that the Refugee Convention should not be undermined in principle or in practice. I look forward to hearing from you.

WHERE TO SEND YOUR EMAIL
You can send a free fax to your MP by visiting
http://www.faxyourmp.com
If you want to see if your MP allows constituents to send e-mails, visit the
parliamentary website at:
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/almsad.htm
Alternatively you can print this letter out and send it to your MP at:
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

IF YOU GET A REPLY
It is part of an MPs job to read letters from constituents, so you should receive a response. To help us in our work, please send copies of replies to Imran Hussain, Parliamentary Officer, The Refugee Council, 3 Bondway, London SW8 ISJ or mailto:imran.hussain@refugeecouncil.org.uk

WEBSITE - Find out more about refugee issues

Since its April re-launch, the Refugee Councils website has been the place to find facts and figures about asylum issues.

Currently, the website features a press myths briefing to counter negative media coverage of refugees and answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on refugee issues. To see this and much more, visit our website at http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk
 

REFUGEE VOICES - What has the Refugee Convention meant to you...

"The Convention gives respect and dignity to refugees. I ran here for safety. I had run away from a country where human rights are not respected and I came to a place where human rights and democracy prevail. I had a second chance. When you leave you are in a traumatic state - you lose all your confidence. Arriving is like being in a new world, where you have a second chance to rebuild your life once again." (Victoria Williams) "The Convention is a guarantee that there is a safe haven away from the chaos and upheaval back home." (Kirubiel Abraha)

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Protect Refugees Rights, The Refugee Council, 3 Bondway, London, SW8 1SJ Charity number 1014576