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CONGRATULATIONS and CALL TO ACTION – See BRING BACK DIGNITY CAMPAIGN BELOW

Posted by Melanie Nathan, April 16, 2014.

A High Court judge in the United Kingdom, ruled that current Home Office policy on asylum support rates is unlawful.

Dave Garratt ,Chief Executive, of Refugee Action, Victoria Charity Centretook , U.K., took the Home Office to court back in February, calling on them to urgently review their asylum support policies.

“Ruling in our favour this morning, the judge stated that the Secretary of State’s decision to freeze the rates of support for asylum seekers was ‘flawed’, adding that:

“She [Secretary of State for the Home Department] failed to take reasonable steps to gather sufficient information to enable her to make a rational judgment in setting the asylum support rates for 2013/2014.”

As I’m sure you are all aware, this is fantastic news for our clients, who face the tremendous challenge, every day, of living with the current incredibly low levels of support.

Following this judgement, Refugee Action has launched a new campaign, Bring Back Dignity, to push for an urgent review of asylum support.  We want to collect thousands of names, calling on the Home Office to finally make the asylum support system fair.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in this legal challenge.  I hope today’s judgement will make a real difference in the lives of all asylum seekers in the UK.

Refugee Action briefing: http://www.refugeeaction.org.uk/about/media_centre/our_news/1151_judicial_review_finds_home_secretary_acted_unlawfully_in_treatment_of_asylum_seekers

Full judgement: http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2014/1033.html&query=refugee+and+action&method=boolean

Summary briefing of the judgement: http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/assets/0000/9775/Refugee_Action_Judgment_Summary_FINAL_2.pdf

http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/assets/0000/9775/Refugee_Action_Judgment_Summary_FINAL_2.pdf

 

Please join the campaign –

Following this judgement, Refugee Action has launched a new campaign, Bring Back Dignity, to push for an urgent review of asylum support.  We want to collect thousands of names, calling on the Home Office to finally make the asylum support system fair.

Please see the attached briefing for further information. – Bring Back Dignity campaign: http://refugee-action.org.uk/policy_campaigning/campaigns/1152_bring_back_dignity_to_our_asylum_support_system