Courts should be able to review asylum decisions (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

Courts should be able to review asylum decisions

June 20, 2005 5:00 PM

A report by Amnesty International says that the UK government is breaking the law by locking up too many asylum seekers before their claims are dealt with. The report estimates that 25,000 asylum applicants were held in detention centres during 2004, many of whom were particularly vulnerable, such as pregnant women, families with children and torture victims.

Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson said "It is a serious embarrassment for the Government that an organisation better known for attacking oppressive regimes has been so critical of conditions in our own detention system. These are asylum seekers, not criminals, yet the Home Office is putting many of them behind bars for no good reason. The best way to restore faith in the system is for the courts to review decisions to lock asylum seekers up."