‘Appeals system needs reform’

Asylum and refugee organisations have urged the government to
reform the asylum appeals process in evidence presented to
MPs.

The Refugee Council, which submitted evidence this week to the
select committee on the Lord Chancellor’s Department, calls for the
government to make more effort to improve initial decisions to
avoid reliance on appeals afterwards.

A spokesperson said: “Measures in the Nationality, Immigration and
Asylum Act are pre-occupied with speed. A fast and efficient
approach is in everyone’s interest as long as the process is
fair.”

Amnesty International added that it was concerned that recent
asylum reforms had reduced the quality of the asylum appeals
process. It said flawed initial decisions led to the necessity of
an appeals process in order for claimants’ accounts to be heard
fully. “The denial of access to appeal rights is a breach of the
UK’s obligations under the international human rights law,” it
said.

A spokesperson added that he was concerned other organisations in
the sector had not sent evidence to the inquiry in time for the 30
April deadline. He said there was a sense of “refugee fatigue”
among those in the sector because of the constant barrage of
changing legislation.