Human Rights Act and Refugees

Speech by Cllr Alan Armitage delivered to Liberal Democrat Conference on Thu 21st Sep 2006

Alan Armitage spoke in the human rights debate on Thursday 21st September about the importance of the Human Rights Act 1998 in defending the rights of refugees. He quoted in particular two rights:

The right to a fair trial. Alan gave three examples: an Iranian homosexual unlikely to receive a fair trial if accused by the religious police of transgressing their anti-gay laws, or a Pakistani woman accused by her husband of adultery who might not expect a fair trial in some parts of her home country. Someone from Turkey who has been convicted in this country of a drugs crime, and served his sentence, may be retried and have to spend yet more time in prison if deported to his country. They can all find protection under the HRA.

The right to a private family life. Youngsters who flee here, often as orphans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or other medical problems, from places like Kosovo, Somalia or Darfur, face deportation when they reach the age of 18. However, the Human Rights Act can save them from such misery, particularly if they have formed new family links here and have none left in their own country.

Alan said, "I believe that the vast majority of British people would agree that in such cases our country should offer the lifeline of refuge. If Labour really mean to abandon this, their own best legal innovation, then such cases could only be decided by the European courts. This would deprive many people of justice, because of the costs, and take years to be resolved, whilst the appellants wait in limbo."