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‘HOME OFFICE OVERHAUL MUST RE-ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY OF ASYLUM SYSTEM’

Wednesday 19 July 2006

Home Secretary John Reid today unveiled plans to make the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) a semi-independent agency at ‘arm’s length’ from the Home Office.

In response to the plans, Sandy Buchan, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: “This is a radical step that must be used to re-establish the credibility of the asylum system.

“We urge the government to use this opportunity not to become either ‘harder’ or ‘softer’ on asylum, but as a means to make open, impartial and fair decisions.

“What is most important is that asylum seekers get the right decisions.”

ENDS

For more information contact Julia Ravenscroft, press officer at Refugee Action, on 07771 748 159.

Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK.  We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and long-term commitment to their settlement through community development work, and received 30,000 visits from asylum seekers last year.  As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 25 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees.

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