One such person is Gulwali Passarlay, internationally renowned author of The Lightless Sky and an Afghan political refugee. In 2007, at the age of 12 he left his home and family and travelled 12,000 miles, through 10 different countries to reach the safety of the UK, but once here, he was faced with a great deal of hostility. He has not seen his mother for 14 years.
“My age was disputed, so was my nationality. I was in a state of uncertainty for such a long time-the Home Office kept delaying matters, and I was granted temporary status for about five years, before I got refugee status.
“These things happen all the time, but now they will occur at an official policy level, which is really concerning,” he said.
“The Home Office has been trying to make preventative policies for the past 30 years, but it hasn’t worked. We have to find an alternative solution to what’s happening…Why can’t we allow [people] to claim a humanitarian visa, instead of having to set foot on UK soil before being able to claim asylum?”
People only cross the Channel in small boats and take desperate measures because of UK government policies, Passarlay says: “These people don’t leave their homes, countries and loved ones for no reason, but because of conflict, persecution, injustice and oppression, and in many cases, Britain has something to do with it.
“The very least the government can do is treat them with dignity and respect, and not as criminals.”
— Read on leftfootforward.org/2021/04/in-depth-the-real-story-behind-priti-patels-refugee-plans/
In depth: The real story behind Priti Patel’s refugee plans | Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK’s progressive debate
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Gulwali Passarlay 