News / asylum seekers
‘Outrage’ at Home Office signing-in decision
Campaigners say they are “outraged” after the Home Office refused to overturn a decision to make asylum seekers sign-in at Patchway Police Station.
As Bristol24/7 reported asylum seekers have been forced to travel to Patchway after the closure of detention cells at Trinity Road Police station. The Home Office claims it needs a signing-in point with detention cells however, this means a 14 mile round journey for people from the city centre.
Claire, from Dignity for Asylum Seekers, said that many “people who are destitute are still having to get themselves to Patchway with no money”. She added that “even those who are entitled to support with travel expenses are still having to apply for it”.
is needed now More than ever
Last week the Home Office met with representatives of Bristol Refugee Rights, Bristol Signing Support, Borderlands, local MPs’ offices and the police commissioners’ team. A 1000 signature petition was handed over calling for the Home Office to reduce signing frequency for migrants and bring signing back into town where people can access it more easily.
While the Home Office agree to reducing signing-in for families to every six months and people in education will only have to sign-in during holidays, campaigners say this still “shows an ongoing lack of respect”.
Dignity for Asylum Seekers said many people still “sign weekly, fortnightly or monthly at great cost to their emotional health and with no reasonable justification as to why they should have to sign so often. People are still at risk of being detained despite having committed no crime”.
The Home Office declined to give a comment on the meeting, however Bristol 24/7 understands that it has agreed to review the move to Patchway again in three months time.
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
