An open letter to prime minister Boris Johnson from a coalition of church leaders and organisations that support refugees, asylum seekers and migrants has asked that such persons be granted ILR
The group, which includes Jesuit Refugee Service, Praxis, Women for Refugee Women, and the Public Interest Law Centre, has recommended that such persons be granted temporary leave to remain in Britain to prevent them from being exploited during the coronavirus pandemic. It is hoped that by granting this concession, persons whose leave to remain is about to expire will not be expected to meet the stringent requirements of the Home Office at a time when it is difficult to access free legal advice or produce the necessary documents.
The group has warned that emergency food and other relief from charities is quickly being depleted and many refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are ineligible to receive public funds. Local councils are also prevented from providing migrants and refugees with assistance and finding suitable housing is problematic. They are also asking the government to grant those with insecure immigration status recourse to public funds and access to the labour market as many have skills that could help the country deal with the pandemic.
Many in the community are also reluctant to seek medical help. While the UK government has waived fees for the treatment of Covid-19, should a person test negative for that disease they may be charged for the treatment they have been given and, because of the policy of data sharing between the NHS and the Home Office, their details passed on. The coalition has also called for the suspension of the data sharing policy.
