Growing pressure for inquiry into Home Office mistreatment of torture evidence

More than 5,000 people have emailed their MP, urging them to call for a Home Affairs Committee inquiry into Home Office mistreatment of torture evidence. This is the latest step in Freedom from Torture’s Proving Torture campaign, which aims to improve asylum decision-making after research revealed how claims are being wrongly refused, with grave results for those affected. 

Freedom from Torture’s Proving Torture report was launched late last year with cross-party Parliamentary support. The Home Office acknowledges that issues exist and change is needed, but there has been little progress. Please help to build the pressure by asking your MP to take action. If you have received a response from your MP, please share this with us by emailing [email protected].

When the medical report was refused by the Home Office you feel very bad. In the refusal letter you feel like they didn't even go through the report to read it, to understand it. It was a very bad experience."

Torture evidence disregarded by Home Office caseworkers

Our investigation revealed that Home Office caseworkers frequently mishandle and disregard expert medical evidence of torture. Amongst those cases we examined where the final outcome was known, three quarters of claims initially refused were overturned on appeal – an unnecessary delay causing significant distress for torture survivors as well as costs to the taxpayer. In almost three quarters of claims, asylum caseworkers replaced the doctor’s expert opinion with their own unqualified speculation on the cause of injuries.