UK policy on deportations and leave to remain
Information about UK policy concerning the deporation of Iraqi asylum seekers.
- 1. General Resources
- Iraq – return and Section 4 support (Aug 2005)
Information on details of current UK government policy on removal access to support for Iraqi refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Dated August 2005.
- Iraqi Federation of Refugees
- Relevant Amnesty Documents
- Iraq – return and Section 4 support (Aug 2005)
- 2. UK Government Statments
- Immigration and Nationality Directorate position statement on forced removals to Iraq (Nov 2005)
Updated position, dated November 2005, reiterating that although "government remains committed to its international obligations and will continue to give permission to stay to those foreign nationals who have a genuine need for international protection, or who otherwise qualify for temporary permission to stay in the United Kingdom due to their personal circumstances", now that Sadam Hussein has been removed from power, they feel that "there has been a clear change in the conditions in Iraq and with it, the factors to be considered when Iraqi nationals claim asylum". It also confirms that "those individuals who are due to be removed can expect to be given notice in writing about plans to remove them from the UK and they are entitled to seek legal advice about their circumstances". It makes absolutely no mention in the statement about the evaluation of the UNHCR on the return of Iraqi Nationals to Iraq, which continues to recommend that the situation in the country is still too unstable for people to return.
- Home Office Sample Letter (Aug 2005)
Sample letter from the Home Office, dated August 21, 2005, detailing UK government policy on returning failed Iraqi asylum seekers.
- Immigration and Nationality Directorate position statement on forced removals to Iraq (Nov 2005)
- 3. Statements on this UK policy by NGOs
- Refugee Council reaction to UK policy of deporting failed Iraqi asylum seekers (17 Nov 2005)
The Refugee Council feels that the Government's November 2005 decision to resume deportations of failed asylum seekers to Iraq is appalling, and urges "the government to reconsider this course of action as a matter of urgency".
- Amnesty International: News Release (26 Aug 2005)
- Human Rights Watch comments (19 Aug 2005)
- Refugee Action’s statement in response to the government’s decision to begin forced removals to Iraq. (15 Aug 2005)
- Refugee Action: initial response to government plans to force returns to Iraq (05 Aug 2005)
- Refugee Council's statement on the current situation facing Iraqi asylum seekers (05 Aug 2005)
- Refugee Council reaction to UK policy of deporting failed Iraqi asylum seekers (17 Nov 2005)
- 4. Responses from the general public and the legal community
- Mistaken deportation, December 2005 (19 Dec 2005)
In late December 2005 it has emerged that the UK mistakenly deported an Iraqi Kurdish Asylum Seeker in November, and is now looking for him. This has raised sharp criticism from a high court judge, who also condemned the Home Office's broader practices in deportation cases. The Herald, and the Telegraph also reported this story.
- Failed Iraqi asylum-seekers to be forcibly returned home (18 Nov 2005)
Article in the Independent reporting on the issue.
- Lawyers fail to halt enforced repatriations (29 Aug 2005)
- Demonstrations against deportations to Iraq (24 Aug 2005)
- Desperate measures to avoid Iraq return (24 Aug 2005)
- Criticism from the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (20 Aug 2005)
- Welsh Council: Alarm over forced returns to Iraq (18 Aug 2005)
- Mistaken deportation, December 2005 (19 Dec 2005)