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The world is facing the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. As defined by the 1951 Geneva Convention and its 1967 Protocol, refugees are people fleeing their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution. As a signatory of the convention, the UK has a legal obligation to grant asylum to people fleeing persecution. I am a Law student at the University of Sussex and have been elected as President of Sussex Student Action for Refugees (STAR). STAR is a national charity of 34,000 students welcoming refugees to the UK, made up of 46 groups at universities and colleges and a national team which coordinates and supports the groups. Together we volunteer at local refugee projects, campaign and fundraise to improve the lives of refugees and educate people about refugees and the right to asylum.
Right wing politicians and the British press frequently use dehumanising rhetoric to describe refugees, as a result of underlying racism and xenophobia. The UK is home to less than 1% of the more than 68 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. In the UK in 2018 only 30% of people seeking asylum were granted protection. Those who are forcibly displaced usually arrive to the UK after having embarked upon life threatening journeys across the Mediterranean to reach Europe and must make a claim for asylum.The asylum process is long, challenging and often traumatic for asylum seekers. The difficulty in accessing free legal advice is putting people’s lives at risk, since they are not likely to have a legal background or a detailed understanding of how the UK system works, and often English isn’t their first language. With regards to whether refugee status is granted, Governments and the United Nations use the United Nations Convention on Refugees 1951, which defines a refugee as someone who:
“…owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…”
Over a third of appeals against refused asylum claims are successful in the UK, highlighting how the system we have in place is not doing its job accurately and fairly.
During the wait for a decision, which can take months, if not years, asylum seekers are not allowed to work or to claim benefits. Instead, they are given an allowance of £37.75 per week. This places an asylum seeker way below the national poverty line. People who seek refuge in the UK also face increased barriers to accessing higher education since they are classed as international students, meaning they are charged higher fees and are unable to get a student loan. This seems unjust just since they are coming here not specifically for an education, but to seek safety. Since they are denied their right to work, going to university becomes seemingly impossible. Shrouk El-Attar is an electronics design engineer who was born in Egypt and has been living in the United Kingdom as a refugee since 2007. She is also a Cardiff STAR member and trustee who shares her story of the difficulties she faced with her asylum application and having to turn down her many university offers since she was unable to earn money. STAR, in partnership with the National Union of Students (NUS), has run its Equal Access Campaign since 2008. Along with several other organisations it provides support and campaigns for the provision of scholarships for refugees and asylum seekers denied access to higher education in the UK. STAR has only been represented at Sussex since 2014, but our Equal Access campaign work has already led university management to agree to offering two full scholarships to students with Discretionary Leave to Remain in the UK.
Refugees seeking family reunion often face extreme levels of stress and anxiety, but restrictive rules are keeping them apart and leaving them increasingly isolated. The majority of people seeking reunion are women and children, many of whom are living in horrific circumstances. This is why STAR, together with Oxfam, Amnesty International UK, Refugee Council and UNHCR are supporting the #familiestogether campaign by lobbying MPs to pass the Refugees Family Reunion bill through parliament. STAR head office asked all STAR groups to focus on this campaign and so our University group wrote a letter containing hundreds of students signatures seeking our MP’s support. We received a response from Caroline Lucas who made it clear she supported the bill and informed us of her continuing efforts to pass it. The proposed legislation received backing at its second reading in the House of Commons. STAR is an amazing organisation that fills me with inspiration even when governments are failing us. Being surrounded by like-minded people and witnessing changes being made first hand, I am reminded that we, as students, are able to come together to make a real positive impact on people’s lives and that protecting refugees is the responsibility of us all.
Sussex Star Committee 2019/20