Kate Osamor MP
On Tuesday I voted against the Government’s Rwanda Bill. This latest gimmick from the Government is cruel, unworkable and expensive. What’s more, it contradicts the principle of the rule of law. Rather than addressing the Supreme Court’s reservations about the Rwandan asylum system, this Bill resorts to legislating a legal fiction. By overturning the factual assessment of the risk of harm in Rwanda without adequately tackling the concerns raised by the Supreme Court, it risks becoming an abuse of Parliament’s essential role. Passing a Bill that says Rwanda is a safe country does not make it so. Moreover, the Bill disrespects international agreements and treaties, presenting the UK as an unreliable partner globally. Disapplying treaties that the UK is internationally bound by demonstrates a lack of good faith, setting a concerning precedent. This move breaches the European Convention on Human Rights and undermines the commitments embedded in the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland settlement. Why should we expect Rwanda to keep its legal obligations to the UK if do not respect our own treaties? What we must not lose sight of is how utterly inhumane and cruel this Bill is. Treating refugees like cattle, trafficking them to Rwanda after they arrive in the UK seeking safety, is an unacceptable way to treat fellow human beings. Our asylum policy must have the principles of justice and equality at its core. No human being deserves to be used as a pawn in a wider political game and every refugee has the right to have their asylum claim decided on merit, in the country they make that claim. That is the core principle of the UN Refugee Treaty, of which we are a signatory, and it is a principle that ensures that every country plays their role in tackling the refugee crisis. If we abandon that principle, we turn our backs on the world and those who most need our help. That is something I will never vote for. |
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Weapon sales to Israel This week I took part in an important debate in Parliament on weapons sales to Israel. The UK Government currently grants weapons licences that allow manufactures to sell weapons to Israel. That is despite the fact that those weapons are then used to commit war crimes, killing innocent civilians, and targeting civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. Since the Israeli onslaught of Gaza began, thousands of my constituents in Edmonton have contacted me to voice their horror at what has unfolded. Edmonton has rallied for peace and against the Government’s complicity in the violence we have witnessed. With one voice we have called for an end to the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade recently acknowledged that arms export licences are subject to continuous review and can be amended or refused if inconsistent with strategic export licensing criteria. There can be no doubt that the benchmarks for revocation had been met. Israel is using arms sold by the UK to breach international law and threaten peace in the wider Middle East region. In the debate I called on the Secretary of State to use his authority to instruct the Export Control Joint Unit, responsible for processing licences, to review and end weapon sales to Israel. Until the Government takes that action it will be complicit in the loss of lives and the forced displacement of innocent people in Palestine. |
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The Afghan Resettlement Scheme The Government’s Afghan Resettlement Scheme has been a failure that has let down the thousands of people in Afghanistan who risked their lives to help our armed forces. On Wednesday this week I raised the case of my constituent, who was able to escape Afghanistan but found himself separated from his wife and children in the process. Years later his families have been unable to use the resettlement scheme to reach the UK and the Home Office is silent about any progress that may have been made. That silent is torture for my constituent and he deserves better from a country he risked his life to assist. The Minister for Armed Forces acknowledges the need to move around 2,000 people out of Afghanistan and bring in approximately 1,800 from Pakistan. However, the timeline and housing arrangements for these individuals remain unclear and until progress is made, we will continue to fail those who need our help so badly. The Afghan Resettlement Scheme shows how poorly equipped the Home Office is to function as intended. Lives have been left in limbo and remain endangered. It is imperative that the Government fulfils its duty to these Afghans, ensuring a swift and secure transition to their new lives in the UK. The Government must do better. |
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Thank you for taking the time to read my latest update, if you have any issues that you would like to raise directly with me then please do email edmontonconstituency@parliament.uk . I’m always happy to help whenever possible. Kind regards, Kate Osamor Member of Parliament for Edmonton |