Refugees and Asylum

Girl in Kalma Internally Displaced Persons camp, South Darfur, Sudan

Amnesty's goal is to bring about a fair and effective asylum system. We attempt to achieve that goal in a number of ways - carrying out research into aspects of asylum policy and practice, developing proposals for improving those policies and practices, and then promoting our proposals with the government, members of parliament and other influential audiences.

Reform forced removals

Adrienne Makenda Kambana (centre) is the widow of Jimmy Mubenga, who died during a forced removal from Heathrow by private security contractors in October 2010 © demotix/Peter MarshallPrivate security contractors are allegedly using excessive force and dangerous control and restraint techniques on people being removed from the UK.

Use of such improper techniques already appears to have led to the death of father-of-five Jimmy Mubenga in October 2010. More about this story

'Sleepouts' in 2011

Amnesty student groups held 32 sleepouts around the UK, from Plymouth to Aberdeen, to raise awareness about the destitution of refused asylum seekers. The declaration which gives asylum seekers the right to work was signed by 20 more MPs.


    Consultation on asylum support

    Nick Broomfield film on destitution

    Documentary maker Nick Broomfield has made a short film for Amnesty International to highlight the issue of destitute refused asylum seekers in the UK. Amnesty is campaigning to end the scandal of destitution of refused asylum seekers. We are supporting the Still Human Still Here campaign along with other refugee, migrant and church organisations who are working on rights and welfare of asylum seekers in the UK.


    still human, still here

    At the end of the line - Restoring the integrity of the UK's asylum systemAmnesty International UK is part of the The Still Human Still Here coalition.  They campaign to highlighting the plight of tens of thousands of refused asylum seekers who are destitute in the UK. Supporters of the coalition believe that the denial of any means of subsistence to refused asylum seekers as a matter of government policy is both inhumane and ineffective.

    Reports

    Down and Out in London: The road to destitution for rejected asylum seekers (November 2006) In this report, Amnesty International has criticised the UK government's policy on rejected asylum seekers, which is forcing thousands into abject poverty. Amnesty believes that rejected asylum seekers are made destitute to force them to go home.
    Read the report (PDF)

    Seeking Asylum is not a Crime (June 2005) Amnesty International challenged the government to reveal how many people who have sought asylum are detained each year and for how long. We believe that many thousand people who sought asylum in the UK were detained solely under Immigration Act powers in 2004.
    Read the report (PDF)

    Get It Right (February 2004) Amnesty International reveals Home Office asylum decisions are based on inaccurate and out-of-date country information, unreasoned decisions about people's credibility and a failure to properly consider complex torture cases.
    Read the report (PDF)