Community sponsorship is a proven way of fixing our asylum system
3 min read
It has been two years since the government pledged to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly.
A new asylum system that works for British communities and those in need of sanctuary must be built with integration and consent at its core. Community sponsorship is the only viable policy that both facilitates partnerships with local communities and provides accessible, safe and legal routes for those currently being exploited by smuggling gangs
The Home Secretary’s commitment to open the named sponsorship scheme to greater numbers this autumn is welcome progress. Communities across the UK have shown again and again that they are ready to welcome those in need of protection, and this scheme rightly places community capacity, agency and consent at the heart of the UK's protection offer.
We know this works. We have seen first-hand the power of community sponsorship since it was introduced ten years ago. Thousands of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and, most recently, Ukraine, have been supported and integrated into communities up and down the country, with the consent of the British public. The Homes for Ukraine scheme has seen my own constituents in Hornsey and Friern Barnet welcome over 1,600 Ukrainian refugees, with hundreds of sponsors opening their doors to support those in need.
It is that community leadership which makes this scheme so powerful. Local people get the chance to raise their hands and say, ‘we want to take responsibility for this family.’ Sports teams can welcome athletes fleeing war. Churches can support persecuted Christians. LGBTQ+ groups can support those fleeing persecution. The community groups at the heart of our civic life are empowered to take the lead.
We know that the energy exists up and down the country, but for community sponsorship to make a lasting impact – both in terms of providing sanctuary for refugees fleeing war and dislocation, and in restoring consent to the asylum system – it must be ambitious.
It must have a pathway and clear steps to scale to ensure that all who need protection can access it. It must be a genuine partnership with communities and ensure that eligibility criteria are sufficiently open so as to ensure as many people as possible can sponsor refugees. If done in this way, the scheme will reach far more people in need, support integration, undermine the pull of the smuggling gangs, and reflect the best of this country's welcoming tradition. It has potential to reopen routes to family reunion for refugees.
At a moment of political transition, this is the time for bold policymaking. Two years ago, this Labour government inherited an asylum system that was failing refugees and the British public. We have taken the first steps to restoring order and fairness.
As the asylum backlog begins to come down, and small boat arrivals show signs of reducing, we now have an opportunity to use community sponsorship to restore consent to the asylum system while continuing to offer sanctuary to all those who need it.
To take full advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity, the government must put in place the necessary supporting measures, such as access to employment support and English language classes, so that refugees can integrate and contribute to the communities which welcome them.
Catherine West is the Labour MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet
