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| Refugee crisis: human rights chief hits out at Cameron and May | Refugee crisis: human rights chief hits out at Cameron and May |
| (5 months later) | |
| Europe’s human rights commissioner has accused David Cameron and Theresa May of “scaling up alarmist rhetoric” on migration, portraying migrants as a “threat to UK society” and fuelling a xenophobic climate in Britain. | Europe’s human rights commissioner has accused David Cameron and Theresa May of “scaling up alarmist rhetoric” on migration, portraying migrants as a “threat to UK society” and fuelling a xenophobic climate in Britain. |
| The criticism from Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, follows his visit to Britain in January. | The criticism from Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, follows his visit to Britain in January. |
| In his official report, the human rights commissioner condemns May, the home secretary, for her determination to “create a really hostile environment for illegal migration”, for criminalising irregular migrants and for failing to highlight the positive impact of immigration in Britain. | In his official report, the human rights commissioner condemns May, the home secretary, for her determination to “create a really hostile environment for illegal migration”, for criminalising irregular migrants and for failing to highlight the positive impact of immigration in Britain. |
| In particular, the commissioner wants to see the government abandon its “monolithic target” to reduce net inward migration to below 100,000, describing it as unrealistic and unattainable; at the minimum impose a time limit on the use of detention for irregular migrants, and to put an immediate end to its “right to rent” law, which is depriving migrants and refugees of access to adequate housing. | In particular, the commissioner wants to see the government abandon its “monolithic target” to reduce net inward migration to below 100,000, describing it as unrealistic and unattainable; at the minimum impose a time limit on the use of detention for irregular migrants, and to put an immediate end to its “right to rent” law, which is depriving migrants and refugees of access to adequate housing. |
| Muižnieks does welcome Britain’s commitment to take 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 and to protect unaccompanied child migrants but adds that, given Britain “is a large and prosperous European state”, many more refugees could be resettled in the UK. | Muižnieks does welcome Britain’s commitment to take 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 and to protect unaccompanied child migrants but adds that, given Britain “is a large and prosperous European state”, many more refugees could be resettled in the UK. |
| He also voices concern about the plight of 67 refugees and their families who have been trapped on a UK base in Cyprus since 1998. | He also voices concern about the plight of 67 refugees and their families who have been trapped on a UK base in Cyprus since 1998. |
| The commissioner advises British politicians to abandon the use of the term “illegal immigrant”. He says that “regrettably” Cameron has used the phrase, which carries stigmatising connotations as the adjective “illegal” is usually linked to criminality, adding: “People are not illegal. Their legal status may be irregular, but that does not render them beyond humanity.” | The commissioner advises British politicians to abandon the use of the term “illegal immigrant”. He says that “regrettably” Cameron has used the phrase, which carries stigmatising connotations as the adjective “illegal” is usually linked to criminality, adding: “People are not illegal. Their legal status may be irregular, but that does not render them beyond humanity.” |
| He says: “The use of the term ‘illegal migrants’ renders all migrants suspicious in the eyes of the general public. For this reason, most international organisations, including the Council of Europe, use primarily the more neutral term ‘irregular migrants’. This can contribute to mitigating the dangerously polarising and alarmist discourse that views migrants as a threat to a society and its public order.” | He says: “The use of the term ‘illegal migrants’ renders all migrants suspicious in the eyes of the general public. For this reason, most international organisations, including the Council of Europe, use primarily the more neutral term ‘irregular migrants’. This can contribute to mitigating the dangerously polarising and alarmist discourse that views migrants as a threat to a society and its public order.” |
| The senior European human rights official says he is worried that this “dominant political discourse which is tainted by alarmism” has led to the unsurprising outcome that the public consider immigration as the most important issue facing the country ahead of health, crime or the economy. | The senior European human rights official says he is worried that this “dominant political discourse which is tainted by alarmism” has led to the unsurprising outcome that the public consider immigration as the most important issue facing the country ahead of health, crime or the economy. |
| “National political discourse needs to be more objective and to highlight concrete positive effects that migrants have on UK society, as is the case in many other European states. The authorities’ attention is drawn to the fact that a considerable part of the public in the UK in fact appears to be interested and demands careful and accurate explanation of immigration-related evidence,” he concludes. | “National political discourse needs to be more objective and to highlight concrete positive effects that migrants have on UK society, as is the case in many other European states. The authorities’ attention is drawn to the fact that a considerable part of the public in the UK in fact appears to be interested and demands careful and accurate explanation of immigration-related evidence,” he concludes. |
| The Home Office defended the government’s record on immigration and asylum and insisted the “wide range of measures to cut abuse of our immigration system” that had been taken was justified in making it harder for people to illegally enter, work or remain in the UK. | The Home Office defended the government’s record on immigration and asylum and insisted the “wide range of measures to cut abuse of our immigration system” that had been taken was justified in making it harder for people to illegally enter, work or remain in the UK. |
| “We remain committed to reforms to bring migration down to sustainable levels which is in the best interests of the country. Uncontrolled immigration makes it difficult to maintain social cohesion, puts pressure on public services and can drive down wages for people on low incomes,” said the immigration minister, James Brokenshire, in his reply. | “We remain committed to reforms to bring migration down to sustainable levels which is in the best interests of the country. Uncontrolled immigration makes it difficult to maintain social cohesion, puts pressure on public services and can drive down wages for people on low incomes,” said the immigration minister, James Brokenshire, in his reply. |