Where do we belong?

We are women who were forced to flee our countries and have sought safety in the UK.  

The UK government’s decision to permanently deny citizenship to anyone who made a dangerous journey to reach safety is unfair and threatens our feelings of safety and belonging in the UK.

The UK is our home; it is the place where we live, work, volunteer and are bringing up our children.  The UK is the place which has given us safety, and where we want to contribute.  But now we are being told that we will never truly belong here.  We will be labelled refugees forever, without the chance to become British no matter how long we live here or how much we feel British.  Even worse, we are being told that we cannot be British because we are not of ‘good character’.  

Because we were desperate, because we needed to seek safety for ourselves and our children, because for most people there is no way to reach safety without risking a dangerous journey, we are being judged as failing the good character requirement of citizenship.  We are being grouped with people who share extremist opinions in public, or have committed serious crimes, even though we have done everything right since we got here.

Most refugees have been in the UK for many years before they are eligible for citizenship.  After so many years waiting for a decision on their asylum claim, then living with refugee status, many people have nothing to go back to if they cannot stay in the UK.  Before we can become British, refugees need to have the permanent right to live in the UK, pass an English test, pass an exam on ‘Life in the UK’ and pay thousands of pounds in fees.  What more do we need to do to prove we are British?

We feel victimised by the UK government’s decision, and let down.  This new rule might succeed in diverting attention from the many failures in the asylum system, and it might be welcomed by extreme anti-immigration parties, but it will do nothing to reduce the number of people forced to risk their lives to find safety.  A poll last week shows that most British people agree that refugees should have the right to become British too.  We hope the government will listen to its people and all of the organisations who have spoken out against this citizenship ban, and take the fair and humane step of reversing their decision.

Refugee Women Connect’s Experts By Experience group