Human rights coalition calls for ‘compassion and support’ for LGBTQ and women refugees from UK government
"Every day, the signatories to this letter work with women and LGBTQ+ refugees and bear witness to their scars from being persecuted"
246 human rights organisations have called on the UK government to show “compassion and support” for refugees. The charities, including Stonewall, issued their call following comments from Home Secretary Suella Braverman last week.
In a speech in Washington DC, Braverman said “being gay” or a woman shouldn’t be enough to qualify for asylum. She later doubled down and claimed that people falsely claim to be gay to seek asylum.
In an open letter addressed to Rishi Sunak on Wednesday (4 October) the coalition also called on the UK government to “reaffirm the UK’s commitment to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.”
In her speech, Braverman also questioned whether the 1951 UN convention was fit for purpose. It’s a piece of legislation signed by 146 countries to date. It has provided the international refugee framework since the Second World War. The 1967 convention broadened the 1951 agreement.
In the open letter, the coalition rejects claims from Braverman that people “purport to be gay.”
It continues: “Every day, the signatories to this letter work with women and LGBTQ+
refugees and bear witness to their scars from being persecuted. By any standard, many signatories of this letter work daily with people who did not want to leave their homes, their families, their communities, their cultures – they had to flee to save their lives.”
The letter also makes mention of the persecution LGBTQ and women refugees often experience in their country of origin. It also highlights the exclusion and “significant barriers” they face in countries they flee to.
It also makes note of the government’s own statistics from 2022. These indicate that less than 2% of asylum claims involved sexual orientation.
“We regret that the Home Secretary intentionally singled out this small minority of people for reasons that have nothing to do with genuine concern or respect for international law, refugees or their protection.”
The letter closes by saying, “We need compassion and support from our political leaders and a clear affirmation that they will abide by international law.”
This echoes calls from Elton John, who criticised Braverman for a lack of compassion.
Also on Wednesday, comedian Joe Lycett took aim at Braverman over her speech, dismantling the hypocrisy of it.
A protest also took place over the weekend following the anger caused by Braverman.