Election Template Letter

TEMPLATE LETTER TO CANDIDATE

Dear [Name]

I am writing to you as my prospective parliamentary candidate.  I want to know whether you will support the internationally recognised right to claim asylum for people fleeing war and persecution.

[Say something about your situation here – who you are, any experience you have of the asylum system and your concerns etc.]

I am worried about the way that immigration is being used to whip up racism and divide people

It is obvious to me that people do not leave their loved ones, their home and all that is familiar for no reason. They take this desperate decision to escape wars, persecution, starvation and death. Many have suffered rape and other torture in prison or elsewhere, seen their loved ones killed. They are forced to take perilous journeys because there are no “legal” [xiii] routes.

I want to see an asylum and immigration process where people are able to get a fair hearing and are treated humanely. The vilification of asylum seekers by some politicians and media leads to horrifyingly bad treatment – people are being left destitute, detained or housed in hotels in appalling conditions, and deported regardless of the horrors they have escaped.

Women and children are particularly affected. Over 70% of women asylum seekers have fled rape and other torture; victims of rape, domestic violence and trafficking are at risk of being fast tracked for deportation, including to Rwanda, there is evidence[xiv] of serious abuse, including rape, by predatory guards, against women in detention; mothers denied refugee status lose their right to family reunion so they and their children are left suffering the pain of indefinite separation.

The hostile immigration environment is based on lies which can easily be disproven:

The asylum system is not overloaded by “meritless claims” — people are denied a fair hearing because prejudice is endemic and officials are trained to disbelieve and refuse claims no matter how compelling, plus, it is almost impossible for people to find legal aid lawyers because fees for immigration have been cut by 48% since 1996 so many lawyers have been forced to stop doing this work[xv]

Immigrant people are not a drain on the UK, they contribute more in taxes than they receive in benefits[xvi]. One in five NHS staff are non-UK nationals, showing how important immigrant people are to keeping the health service afloat[xvii].

I would like to know what action you will take if elected to parliament to defend the right of people to claim asylum and ensure that asylum seekers get a fair hearing and humane treatment.

Signed: [Name]
[Address including postcode]