• Publish Your article
  • Editorial Policy
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Monday, October 27, 2025
No Result
View All Result
UK Herald
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Sports
    England rugby stadium Twickenham given new name after more than 100 years in shock new deal

    England rugby stadium Twickenham given new name after more than 100 years in shock new deal

    Peter Morgan dead at 65: Former Wales and Lions rugby star who became a politician passes away as club pays tribute

    Peter Morgan dead at 65: Former Wales and Lions rugby star who became a politician passes away as club pays tribute

    Horse racing tips: Unexposed Group 1 contender can stun the big guns at 14-1

    Horse racing tips: Unexposed Group 1 contender can stun the big guns at 14-1

    Woman ‘raped seven times by two French rugby stars who left her riddled with bite marks & with horror injuries’

    Woman ‘raped seven times by two French rugby stars who left her riddled with bite marks & with horror injuries’

    Horse racing tips: Gary Moore’s charge can gain revenge after falling last time out

    Horse racing tips: Gary Moore’s charge can gain revenge after falling last time out

    Ian Buckett dead at 56: Former Wales rugby star who was ‘admired and feared equally’ dies as tributes pour in

    Ian Buckett dead at 56: Former Wales rugby star who was ‘admired and feared equally’ dies as tributes pour in

    Horse racing tips: Bash the bookies with these longshots including 9-1 fancy

    Horse racing tips: Bash the bookies with these longshots including 9-1 fancy

    Shayne Philpott dead at 58 – New Zealand All Blacks rugby legend dies after suffering ‘medical event’

    Shayne Philpott dead at 58 – New Zealand All Blacks rugby legend dies after suffering ‘medical event’

    Horse racing tips: This 7-1 chance appears to have been laid out for race he won last year

    Horse racing tips: This 7-1 chance appears to have been laid out for race he won last year

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • food
    • Health
    • Travel
    I went to a five-star health spa and realised the secret to long life is free

    I went to a five-star health spa and realised the secret to long life is free

    I visited this lesser-known European gem and spent just £300 in a week

    I visited this lesser-known European gem and spent just £300 in a week

    I stayed in Mauritius’ ‘magic place’ – this is my honest review

    I stayed in Mauritius’ ‘magic place’ – this is my honest review

    The exact dates you need to book off in 2026 to get 56 days of holiday

    The exact dates you need to book off in 2026 to get 56 days of holiday

    Italy’s ‘less glitzy’ gateway destination named one of 2026’s best places to visit

    Italy’s ‘less glitzy’ gateway destination named one of 2026’s best places to visit

    This historic Japanese city is hiking its tourist tax by 900% to stop you coming

    This historic Japanese city is hiking its tourist tax by 900% to stop you coming

    Major airline removes carry-on bag sizers from boarding gates

    Major airline removes carry-on bag sizers from boarding gates

    Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge review: ‘It doesn’t get bigger than this…’

    Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge review: ‘It doesn’t get bigger than this…’

    What is Bleach or Facial, Best for Skin?

    What is Bleach or Facial, Best for Skin?

    Tourists are flocking to a mind-bending Chinese megacity where Google Maps doesn’t work

    Tourists are flocking to a mind-bending Chinese megacity where Google Maps doesn’t work

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Health
  • Opinion
  • Science
  • Tech
  • Crypto
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Sports
  • More
    • Press Release
UK Herald
No Result
View All Result

Tim Farron: ‘The migration debate lacks humanity and perspective — safe routes are the answer’

by Justin Marsh
October 18, 2024
0
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterReddit


A million people are estimated to have been displaced from their homes in southern Lebanon since Israel’s air strikes began against Hezbollah. These include many Syrian refugees who had previously fled to Lebanon to escape civil war. And Iran’s missile attacks in retaliation is in turn forcing Israelis living near the border to flee to shelters.  Long before the Israeli airstrikes began Hezbollah had been firing rockets into northern Israel, which means that many Israelis had already fled south even before these recent developments.

Meanwhile, in Austria, the far-right Freedom Party’s performance is the latest in a series of election victories for populist European anti-immigration parties.

And immigration dominates the Conservative leadership contest, with Kemi Badenoch warning that some immigrants will not share British values, and Robert Jenrick calling for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, to make it easier to deport migrants.

All these issues remind us that mass migration is a major global concern, as escalating conflicts add daily to the numbers of people being uprooted from their homes.

I am vocal on this issue because the debate has become so unpleasant that we can easily forget that migrants and refugees are human beings just like us. Terms such as ‘illegals’ and ‘invaders’ dismiss and dehumanise them, and create the impression of hordes of dangerous criminals swarming onto our shores. In fact many are fleeing from war, persecution and other horrors that we are deeply fortunate not to experience in the UK.  Who doesn’t want a secure home and to live without fear?

No-one is suggesting we fling open our borders to all-comers. But this is clearly a fluid situation requiring international co-operation.  And we must consider refugees with compassion and humanity at all times.

Keir Starmer has been speaking with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni about her policy of making deals with countries that migrants travel through, such as Libya and Tunisia, to stop them reaching Europe.  But reducing the numbers arriving on Italian shores doesn’t mean the refugees simply disappear. Instead many report kidnap, rape, arbitrary detention and other abusive treatment during their arduous journeys through these areas. So we need to be deeply concerned with the human consequences of any agreements the UK makes.

I support the PM’s desire to stop criminal gangs profiteering from the plight of desperate migrants. But stamping out the gangs won’t remove the demand from people fleeing persecution. Refugees will still attempt to reach Britain, and other malign actors will step in to offer even more dangerous options.  A case in point is this: when inflatable boats are prevented from reaching France, they are in reality replaced with poorer quality vessels, which are then vastly over-filled, leading to further deaths as they capsize en route. Again we need to think through the consequences of these policies.

There is no silver bullet to stop channel crossings – and I doubt we will altogether – but we must consider the reasons why smugglers have become an integral part of the way asylum seekers reach the UK.

People fleeing their lives will journey however they can, and with no legal routes for travel to the UK to seek asylum, they will pay a smuggler. This is the reality. So let’s offer certain groups the choice of a safe route and the criminal gangs will lose custom. It also gives us control over the numbers, and time to prepare for arrivals.

Alongside this we need a functioning asylum system which can process applicants quickly. This will deter those who should not be here, and ensure that people are not lodged for months in hotels, banned from working, claiming benefits or having any sort of a life. Mental health issues and suicide attempts are alarmingly high among those who are simply left in limbo. We should humanely return those who do not have genuine claims, and welcome and integrate those who do.

Other humane policies would include a renewed global resettlement scheme quota, where the UNHCR selects refugees whose protection needs cannot be met in their current location.  Once a person has refugee status in the UK, the process of family members joining them under Refugee Family Reunion should be expanded where the closest living relatives are not a partner or child under 18.

Finally, let’s pilot a capped Humanitarian Visa for selected countries where we already grant a high rate of asylum applications, such as Iran, Eritrea and Sudan.

In this debate we need some perspective. Not everyone is trying to reach the UK. 85% of refugees settle in the country next to their home. The French take three times more refugees than we do.

Most importantly, we need to think of asylum seekers as human. It was right to scrap the inhumane Rwanda plan, and we must reject any language or approach that treats migrants as objects, vermin or invaders.

But I’m disappointed that we’re not hearing anything from government to address the dangerous journeys people take to get to the UK to claim asylum. As well as going after the gangs, a proper conversation about safe routes would go a long way towards reducing the attraction of these dangerous and desperate attempts to reach our shores.

Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.

The post Tim Farron: ‘The migration debate lacks humanity and perspective — safe routes are the answer’ appeared first on Politics.co.uk.



Source link

Related Posts

Andy Burnham criticises ‘climate of fear’ in Labour with vow to continue ‘debate’

Andy Burnham criticises ‘climate of fear’ in Labour with vow to continue ‘debate’

by Justin Marsh
October 26, 2025
0

Andy Burnham has vowed to continue the debate he has instigated over the direction of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer’s leadership, in a direct response to his internal critics. In his...

Starmer is governed by polls, not principles – voters can sense it

Starmer is governed by polls, not principles – voters can sense it

by Justin Marsh
October 24, 2025
0

Politics once moved at the pace of persuasion. A leader would make a case, tour the country, take questions, debate opponents – and then wait weeks or months to see whether the...

Back electoral reform to embed ‘progressive majority’ and thwart Farage, Starmer urged

Back electoral reform to embed ‘progressive majority’ and thwart Farage, Starmer urged

by Justin Marsh
October 22, 2025
0

Keir Starmer has been urged to throw his support behind some form of proportional representation (PR) in order to embed Britain’s “progressive majority”. Paul Sweeney, member of the Scottish parliament (MSP) for...

Week-in-Review: Starmer and Badenoch repel their pretenders – for now

Week-in-Review: Starmer and Badenoch repel their pretenders – for now

by Justin Marsh
October 20, 2025
0

It took the power of Andy Burnham’s example to tame Robert Jenrick. Expectations heading into the Conservative Party’s annual conference suggested the shadow justice secretary would continue to strut his stuff in...

Olivia Blake: ‘Why cross-party leadership on climate policy is essential’

Olivia Blake: ‘Why cross-party leadership on climate policy is essential’

by Justin Marsh
October 18, 2025
0

It’s official. The Conservative Party leadership has joined the ranks of climate deniers, in a race to the bottom with Nigel Farage and Donald Trump to see whose head can sink deepest...

Alistair Strathern: ‘Play in Healthcare Week – making every child’s right to play a reality’

Alistair Strathern: ‘Play in Healthcare Week – making every child’s right to play a reality’

by Justin Marsh
October 16, 2025
0

A child facing surgery, having a blood test or needing an MRI shouldn’t have to feel terrified. Yet too often they do, unless they’re lucky enough to be in a hospital with...

Next Post
Top 10 new build homes developments in Islington

Top 10 new build homes developments in Islington

Popular News

Andy Burnham criticises ‘climate of fear’ in Labour with vow to continue ‘debate’

Andy Burnham criticises ‘climate of fear’ in Labour with vow to continue ‘debate’

October 26, 2025
I went to a five-star health spa and realised the secret to long life is free

I went to a five-star health spa and realised the secret to long life is free

October 25, 2025
Starmer is governed by polls, not principles – voters can sense it

Starmer is governed by polls, not principles – voters can sense it

October 24, 2025
Are press trip freebies taxable income for freelances and influencers?

Are press trip freebies taxable income for freelances and influencers?

October 24, 2025
Back electoral reform to embed ‘progressive majority’ and thwart Farage, Starmer urged

Back electoral reform to embed ‘progressive majority’ and thwart Farage, Starmer urged

October 22, 2025
I visited this lesser-known European gem and spent just £300 in a week

I visited this lesser-known European gem and spent just £300 in a week

October 22, 2025
Week-in-Review: Starmer and Badenoch repel their pretenders – for now

Week-in-Review: Starmer and Badenoch repel their pretenders – for now

October 20, 2025
UK Herald

All Rights Reserved © UK HERALD - The Voice of UK

Important Links

  • Publish Your article
  • Editorial Policy
  • Contact
  • Advertise

...

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
  • UK News
  • Business
  • Science
  • National
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • Sports
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Food

All Rights Reserved © UK HERALD - The Voice of UK