Human Rights

This Pride Month, June 2024, Seraphus reflects on the support available to LGBTQI+ refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK. June is recognised as LGBTQI+ Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating and commemorating the LGBTQI+ community. While many events claim to be inclusive, LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum often face barriers to participating in […]

In his previous articles, Seraphus director Christopher Desira has looked at the dynamic between the international community, migrants, and the shortcomings of the former in protecting the latter. In this article, Christopher turns his attention to the role of individual states, and how their existence under principles of Westphalian sovereignty leads to the antagonisation of […]

The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 received royal assent on 25 April 2024, marking a dark moment in British legal history. This Act contradicts the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of AAA, HTN, RM, AS, SAA, ASM v the SSHD [2023] EWCA Civ 745, asserting Rwanda as a safe country and […]

In this article, we delve into the urgent call for fair and compassionate immigration policies, particularly focusing on the need to establish safe routes for Palestinians in Gaza to reunite with their families in the UK. As the geopolitical instability and future, environmental changes persist, it gives rise to consider how this lack of pathways […]

In his first piece, Seraphus director Christopher Desira looked at the evolution of migration, and its ubiquitous nature across civilisation and history. He also considered the evolving rhetoric around migration, and the way in which migrants are often seen as a burden on the state. In this piece, Christopher delves further into the dynamic between […]

The United Kingdom, a racially and ethnically diverse nation, has long grappled with accusations of racism within its immigration system. Recent legislative developments have once again brought this issue to the forefront. In this article, we mark the week of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by delving into the evolving landscape of […]

This week marks two years since the illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia. As many around the world pause to reflect on the conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions, it’s important that we continue to provide aid and support to the Ukrainian people. While the war rages on, the […]

The judgement for the Rwanda case in the High Court has been published – the court held that the Government policy to send asylum claimants to Rwanda is generally lawful so long as they properly consider each individual’s circumstances and conclude that that is the right outcome. The Home Office did not properly consider each individual involved in this […]

The Labour Party needs to go further with their right to work proposals for asylum seekers. They are not going far enough and employment will remain inaccessible for most asylum seekers if the jobs are restricted to the shortage occupation list. Generally, asylum seekers are not allowed to work unless they apply for permission. They can ask […]

Statement in Full: “MRN and JCWI believe that no one should be treated degradingly or have their lives put at risk because of where they happened to be born. That’s why we stand firmly against the policies set out in the Prime Minister’s immigration statement. Amongst the many inhumane measures he announced, we are particularly […]

The PM’s announcement yesterday contained no plans for an asylum visa system, no plans to protect the most vulnerable, no plans to save lives. Tragically, the very next day, we’re faced with further loss of life. This was predictable and preventable. No amount of security, pledges, rhetoric, promises, cooperation, hostility, is going to stop people […]

The government published its strategy statement on Legal Migration and Border Control, outlining its vision for the British border and legal migration system in the next three years. They plan to implement the strategy through the New Plan for Immigration, which came into force earlier this year and made significant amendments to the immigration system. Some main changes […]

As many as 13,000 people are thought to be held in modern slavery in the UK today, with up to 25% believed to be minors. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 sets out the framework for their protection. Under that Act, certain public authorities such as police and local authorities have a duty to notify the Secretary of […]

The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees form the basic framework of international refugee law today, setting out who qualifies for refugee protection and who does not. But where does this framework for protection come from? In its most basic form, the regime […]