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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| MPs urge Home Office to rethink statelessness procedure | MPs urge Home Office to rethink statelessness procedure |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| MPs have called for a review of the way the Home Office handles applications from stateless people, saying the current procedure is “totally dysfunctional”, after the Guardian highlighted the Kafkaesque reasons people are refused. | MPs have called for a review of the way the Home Office handles applications from stateless people, saying the current procedure is “totally dysfunctional”, after the Guardian highlighted the Kafkaesque reasons people are refused. |
| The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, was among the MPs who urged the Home Office to reconsider the way it assesses cases under the statelessness procedure, which was introduced in 2013. By the end of 2016 only 64 people had been recognised as stateless and granted protection in the UK. | The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, was among the MPs who urged the Home Office to reconsider the way it assesses cases under the statelessness procedure, which was introduced in 2013. By the end of 2016 only 64 people had been recognised as stateless and granted protection in the UK. |
| “It’s a very harsh system for stateless people,” Abbott said. “This is partly an example of the totally dysfunctional Home Office and its procedures.” | “It’s a very harsh system for stateless people,” Abbott said. “This is partly an example of the totally dysfunctional Home Office and its procedures.” |
| The Home Office does not publish statistics about statelessness claims. According to data provided for a report by the charity Asylum Aid, of the 754 decisions made by April 2016, only 5.2% were grants of protection. This compares with 30-40% of initial decisions being grants in asylum cases. | The Home Office does not publish statistics about statelessness claims. According to data provided for a report by the charity Asylum Aid, of the 754 decisions made by April 2016, only 5.2% were grants of protection. This compares with 30-40% of initial decisions being grants in asylum cases. |
| “That’s very worrying,” said Abbott. “Hopes were raised by the announcement of the procedure but the tiny number of people actually getting through makes me feel the government gave people false hope.” | “That’s very worrying,” said Abbott. “Hopes were raised by the announcement of the procedure but the tiny number of people actually getting through makes me feel the government gave people false hope.” |
| Thangam Debbonaire, the Labour MP for Bristol West and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on refugees, said: “The procedure for dealing with stateless people is patently not working. It’s not good if there’s all fanfare and no follow-through.” | Thangam Debbonaire, the Labour MP for Bristol West and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on refugees, said: “The procedure for dealing with stateless people is patently not working. It’s not good if there’s all fanfare and no follow-through.” |
| Abbott said the story of Mohammed al-Mustafa, publicised by the Guardian this week, was “an incredibly sad case” and was “a real example of the chaos of the Home Office”. | Abbott said the story of Mohammed al-Mustafa, publicised by the Guardian this week, was “an incredibly sad case” and was “a real example of the chaos of the Home Office”. |
| Mustafa, who claims to have been born in Palestine and to have left at the age of five with no identity documents, was refused protection under statelessness procedures late last year after the Home Office decided it did not believe him to be Palestinian, despite having twice advised him to return to Palestine. | Mustafa, who claims to have been born in Palestine and to have left at the age of five with no identity documents, was refused protection under statelessness procedures late last year after the Home Office decided it did not believe him to be Palestinian, despite having twice advised him to return to Palestine. |
| Andy Slaughter, the Labour MP for Hammersmith in west London, where Mustafa lives with a host family, said he had taken up the case directly with the office of the home secretary, Amber Rudd. | Andy Slaughter, the Labour MP for Hammersmith in west London, where Mustafa lives with a host family, said he had taken up the case directly with the office of the home secretary, Amber Rudd. |
| “I’m hoping to get a more sensible answer from the home secretary,” he said. “The anomaly here just seems so clear. The way they’ve dealt with it, the best you could say is that it’s a dysfunctional way.” | “I’m hoping to get a more sensible answer from the home secretary,” he said. “The anomaly here just seems so clear. The way they’ve dealt with it, the best you could say is that it’s a dysfunctional way.” |
| Abbott, Debbonaire and Slaughter called for the introduction of an appeals process for refused statelessness claims and for the Home Office to begin regularly publishing data on claims. | Abbott, Debbonaire and Slaughter called for the introduction of an appeals process for refused statelessness claims and for the Home Office to begin regularly publishing data on claims. |
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