Yvette Cooper should urgently meet with refugee charities after they were ignored ahead of the government’s sweeping changes to immigration rules, according to a letter signed by more than 100 civil society organisations.
In the joint letter, which has been signed by organisations including Refugee Council, Care4Calais and Choose Love, charities have called on the home secretary to meet with them and with some of the migrants they support.
Senior charity leaders have sent repeated requests to meet with Ms Cooper since the election but have had their invites turned down, The Independent understands.
The call comes after Sir Keir Starmer warned that the UK risks becoming “an island of strangers” as he laid out plans aimed at significantly reducing immigration. Among the measures announced were a ban on the recruitment of care workers from overseas, increased English language requirements for immigrants, and the tightening of access to skilled worker visas.
In the letter, organised by migrant charity Praxis, charities, legal advice providers and civil society organisations told Ms Cooper that “the decisions made by your department have profound consequences for the people we serve”.
They added: “The rise in racial discrimination, hate crime against migrants and British people of colour, and targeted attacks by the far right highlights the urgent need for those most affected to have a meaningful voice in shaping government policy through genuine consultation.”
They added: “We respectfully urge you to agree to meet with us and with migrants affected by the government’s policy choices. We remain ready to engage constructively, and we believe that a meaningful dialogue between the home secretary and civil society is not only necessary, but in the public interest”.
Minnie Rahman, CEO of Praxis, added: “There have been many formal requests for meetings with Ms Cooper since the election from CEOs across the sector, including those organised by Praxis and Asylum Matters, and none have been successful.
“We’re not aware of anyone who has had a positive response to requests to meet with her and we’ve all made requests in various forms.”
Despite comparisons of the prime minister’s language to that of Enoch Powell, Ms Cooper defended his immigration speech, saying Sir Keir’s words were “completely different” to those used in the infamous 1968 rivers of blood speech.
Under the new plans, foreign workers will no longer have the right to apply for settlement in the UK after five years, instead extending their wait to 10 years. The required level of English needed for visa holders has also been increased. Charities have also raised concerns that tough requirements on English levels and financial support could be introduced for refugee family members.
Sir Keir also announced on Thursday that the UK had begun talks to send failed asylum seekers to foreign countries while they await deportation.
Speaking during a visit to Albania, Sir Keir said officials were having discussions about using “return hubs” outside the UK. However the Albanian prime minister Edi Rama ruled his country out of the discussions, telling journalists that an Albanian migrant processing centre used by Italy was a “one off”.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
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