100 signatures reached
To: MP's of North Northamptonshire; Philip Hollobone, Peter Bone and Tom Pursglove
North Northamptonshire stands with refugees
Dear Philip Hollobone, Peter Bone and Tom Pursglove
The people of North Northamptonshire have a message - we stand with refugees and ask you to reconsider your vote on the Nationality and Borders Bill. Not only is the Bill in breach of international human rights and refugee treaties, it is immoral, inhumane and does not represent the views of North Northamptonshire.
The Nationality and Borders Bill wrongly criminalises refugees, denies the rights of asylum seekers and seeks to punish refugees, rather than protect them. It is a threat to all of our democracy.
We are asking you as our local MPs to work with your colleagues, government ministers, and the Home Secretary, to make amendments to the Bill which will ensure that every refugee is met with compassion and protection, regardless of the journey they take to the UK.
Why is this important?
What is the Nationality and Borders Bill?
On Wednesday 8th December, Government MP's including Philip Hollobone, Tom Pursglove and Peter Bone voted for the Nationality & Borders Bill. It has been described as an attack on refugee rights and criticised for breaching international law. The bill includes unlawful policy changes meaning that:
- UK residents could have citizenship stripped without notification.
- Asylum Seekers could be sent to offshore 'processing centres'.
- People rescuing refugees could be prosecuted.
- Refugees not entering the country by a 'safe and legal route' would punished and ignored.
Why should we vote against it?
Despite ministers claims that the Bill will help to save lives; it will do the exact opposite. The Bill fails to offer a safer route to the UK, putting refugees at further risk of exploitation by smugglers and traffickers.
Why should we do more?
Our government and the media give the impression that the UK are doing more than enough to help people fleeing war and persecution. But that is not the case. To put into context:
- At the end of 2020 around 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced across the world.
- Of these, 26.4 million were refugees.
- Half of the world’s refugees are children.
- 85% of refugees are being hosted in developing countries.
The UK is home to approx 1% of 26.4 million refugees around the world, and significantly falls far behind our European neighbours when it comes to granting asylum (in terms of the number of asylum applications per head of population, the UK ranks 17th highest in Europe).
In addition, it is our moral and legal obligation to uphold the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention - an agreement that the UK played a central role in drafting. We should be proud of our tradition of protecting refugees but given the scale of the global refugee crisis facing the world, we can and should be doing much more to help.
How can I make a difference?
We are calling on people of North Northamptonshire to sign this petition, and demand that our local Members of Parliament hear our voice and speak out against the Nationality and Borders Bill. North Northamptonshire is a beautifully diverse and culture rich place, and we are proud to embrace and accept refugees with open arms.
How it will be delivered
We will deliver them in person at a public event in 2022 - date TBC.
