An LGBTQ+ refugee charity has condemned proposed changes to the UK asylum system, highlighting how such sweeping changes disproportionately harm LGBTQ+ refugees seeking safety and protection.

The UK home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, told the BBC on Sunday evening (16 November) – ahead of publishing a major shake-up of the asylum system on Monday (17 November) – that immigration is “tearing the country apart” and placing an “intense strain on communities”.

Her words were widely criticised by human rights groups, and some of Labour’s own MPs, for stoking divisions about migrant communities.

Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, weighed in on the matter and accused the home secretary of “ethnic stereotyping” for comments she made in the Commons about 700 Albanian families “living in taxpayer-funded accommodation having failed their asylum claims”.

“Official policy should never be driven by ethnic stereotyping”

On X, formerly Twitter, Rama questioned how Mahmood can “so poorly echo the rhetoric of the populist far-right” and single out 700 families who represent “a statistical drop in the ocean of post-Brexit Britain’s challenges”.

“Let us also be clear: Albanians are net contributors to the British economy, and the number of Albanians receiving UK benefits is very low relative to other communities,” Rama wrote in his criticism.

“To single them out again and again is not policy – it is a troubling and indecent exercise in demagoguery.

“Official policy should never be driven by ethnic stereotyping. That is the very least humanity expects from the great Great Britain.”

The proposals will see refugee status become temporary where it will be reviewed every 30 months and people could be returned to their home country if it is deemed “safe”, while some migrants will have to wait up to 20 years for settled status and the legal duty to provide asylum seekers with support will end, amongst other changes.

In a government press release announcing the changes, the Home Office said the changes will make Britain’s settlement system “by far the most controlled and selective in Europe”.

In a statement provided to PinkNews, Minesh Parekh, policy and public affairs manager at Rainbow Migration, described the changes as the “latest attempt by the government to punish people that come here seeking safety and protection” and labelled it “disgraceful”.

“Blanket designations fail to reflect the realities faced by LGBTQI+ people”

“Making someone’s refugee status conditional on their country of origin never becoming safe could disproportionately harm LGBTQI+ people.

“Determining whether a country is safe is extremely complex: too often, blanket designations fail to reflect the realities faced by LGBTQI+ people.

“Right now, this government considers countries like India, Georgia and Albania ‘safe’ to return people to, despite evidence of widespread human rights abuses against LGBTQI+ people. For instance, we supported Noah, a gay man who fled homophobic persecution in Georgia, who was physically attacked by family members and even had an exorcism performed on him at church.”

Parekh continued: “LGBTQI+ people also face significant barriers when accessing housing and financial support.

“Many are forced to share rooms, and often face queerphobic bullying, harassment and abuse from both other residents and staff.

“Cutting people off from housing and financial support will only push them into even more dangerous situations or into destitution.”

“Ministers have an opportunity to create a system rooted in justice and fairness, to defend human rights and keep people safe from harm,” Parekh added. “That requires turning away from the playbook of division and towards the politics of hope. They must seize it.” 

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