They’ve suffered enough

The government is delighted that the number seeking asylum in this
country has fallen sharply. Never mind that our news broadcasts
show no sign of a reduction in the number of displaced people in
the world – as long as they don’t come here, it seems, then all is
well.

But even for the UK, the new figures tell only part of the story.
What about the thousands still awaiting the outcome of their appeal
for asylum? People like Community Care user panel member
Ibrahim Koroma whose case seems to be in a constant state of
adjournment and who survives only thanks to the goodwill of his one
friend in this country who gives him food and shelter.

The government doesn’t seem to want to know about the plight of
people like Ibrahim left in limbo by the lumbering machinery of our
asylum process. An honourable way out of the predicament, now the
headline figures are coming down, would be to declare an amnesty
for those stuck in the system. Surely they’ve already suffered
enough?