The principle of offering protection to refugees, and supporting them to rebuild their lives in safety, drives the fantastic work of our three appeal charities. We believe it is also a sign of a civilized society. As the author Gillian Slovo said on the 70th anniversary of the UN refugee convention two years ago: "It's what makes us human, the fact that we recognise suffering in other human beings and we do what we can to alleviate it."
Unfortunately, so much of what passes for asylum policy today is warped by hostility. The UK government has explicitly sought to make the asylum seeker experience as wretched and unwelcoming as possible and has openly questioned Britain's commitment to the UN refugee convention.
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