Birmingham City Council first to sign refugee rights pledge as campaigner says laws 'damage lives'
ITV News Central reporter Lewis Warner speaks to a refugee who fled Azerbaijan as she shares concerns about her own status
A refugee who fled Azerbaijan with her mother fearing for their safety and facing a seven-year battle for UK-settled status says government reforms will damage people's lives.
The Home Office the Nationality and Borders Act pledges to break the business model of people smuggling networks and protect the lives of those it endangers.
But refugee and campaigner Mika describes the Act as an "anti-refugee" law that will do more harm than good.
Mika, who was just 16 when she fled to the UK with her mum, now advocates for the rights of asylum seekers.
She described her seven-year wait for a decision on her claim as "depressing" and said she now fears the Nationality and Boarders Act will make the process more brutal while infringing on the rights of those seeking asylum in the UK.
Mika said: "Not getting the status was really difficult and waiting for seven years was quite depressing.
"When my friends were getting their papers, I wasn’t and there was a moment I was stuck in limbo."
The activist believes had she and her mother fled under the current laws, she would have been sent to Rwanda where her life would be dramatically different.
Mika added: "I wouldn't have my rights. I won’t have a choice and it’ll be really hard to challenge (defend) my right in court."
In an attempt to make a stand against the controversial law Birmingham City Council has become the first local authority in the UK to sign up to a pledge respecting the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
The council also rejects the current government's Nationality and Borders Bill, which is perhaps best known for providing the legal basis for the Rwanda resettlement scheme.
The proposed reforms would see asylum seekers sent to the African country for processing - although as yet, the government has been unable to deport anyone.
The pledge asks signatories to agree to four principles:
Defend the right to seek safety from war and persecution in the UK
Speak out against attempts to criminalise and punish those who make their own way to safety
Challenge the anti-refugee laws which will risk the lives and well-being of people
Work towards a refugee protection system that treats all people with dignity and compassion.
New legislation is hoped to increase the fairness of the system to better protect and support those in need of asylum - while taking into account the fact that the number of asylum cases has doubled since 2014, according to the government.
Research conducted by the House of Commons found as of June 2022, the total "work in progress" asylum applications consisted of 166,100 cases.
Of these, 101,400 cases were awaiting an initial decision, 4,900 were awaiting the outcome of an appeal, and approximately 38,900 cases were subject to removal action.
Speaking of Birmingham City Council's decision to sign the pledge, councillor John Cotton said it is in line with the city's values to provide sanctuary to those fleeing danger.
He said: "Birmingham has a long and proud history as a city of sanctuary welcoming migrants and providing a place for refugees.
"We’ve done that for hundreds of years but it’s really clear that this anti-refugee legislation that has been passed by the government is deeply unjust and it’s denying people legal routes to be able to come a safely settle in the UK.
"It's really important that we stand up and say: ‘there needs to be a fair system that ensures people can seek safety from those horrors here in our country today."
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