UK government must show leadership on Syrian torture survivors

Freedom from Torture is urging the government to show leadership at a major UN Refugee Agency conference on Syria tomorrow (30 March) by offering more legal routes to safety in the UK to refugees fleeing the conflict.  

A number of reports, including by the UN, have revealed extensive use of torture by government and opposition forces in Syria, with children and young people among those targeted.

Those who have fled after torture have little hope of accessing the specialist rehabilitation services they need if they languish in the refugee camps in the region, or in makeshift arrangements in Europe; and we know from torture survivors that these transit environments present obstacles to telling care workers about their torture.

While the charity welcomes the UK’s agreement to resettle 20,000 Syrians over five years, this represents less than a quarter-of-a-per-cent of the 4.8 million Syrian refugees, many of whom have been forced to take the European route to escape the conflict in Syria and the dire human rights situation in neighbouring countries.

While the charity welcomes the UK’s agreement to resettle 20,000 Syrians over five years, this represents less than a quarter-of-a-per-cent of the 4.8 million Syrian refugees, many of whom have been forced to take the European route to escape the conflict in Syria and the dire human rights situation in neighbouring countries.

Susan Munroe, Chief Executive, Freedom from Torture, said:

“The Prime Minister’s resettlement offer to Syrian refugees showed real compassion but as the humanitarian situation worsens he should lead again with a further generous pledge of safe passageways to the UK.

Thousands of lives could be saved on land and at sea if the Prime Minister accepts our advice for new legal routes for survivors of torture and other human rights abuses to reach sanctuary in the UK and then be joined by loved ones to rebuild their lives.

This is one of the biggest human rights challenges of our age. We believe that the Prime Minister should show the same leadership we showed during and after the Second World War and open up new pathways to safety rather than closing them down.”

Among the steps the UK Government should take to offer sanctuary to more torture survivors and other refugees are:

Broadening the definition of family for the purposes of refugee family reunion to allow adult torture survivors and other refugees in the UK to be reunited with their parents, siblings and adult children.

Introducing humanitarian visas which would allow people to travel to the UK to claim asylum without having to take dangerous journeys that put their lives at risk.

Committing to resettle in the UK a fair and proportionate share of Syria’s most vulnerable refugees including specific prioritisation of torture survivors.

Helping ensure that refugees arriving irregularly in the UK and elsewhere in Europe are afforded the same treatment as refugees arriving through safe and legal pathways, and can exercise their rights under international law, including the right to claim asylum.