Failed asylum seekers denied appeals

Failed asylum seekers denied appeals

Friday, 22, Aug 2008 01:25

The government is planning on preventing failed asylum seekers from appealing to the high court against deportation.

The proposals, contained in a Home Office consultation paper, were instantly condemned by refugee rights groups and legal groups.

"One in five appeals are successful - this clearly shows that appeals provide a vital safety net," said Donna Covey, chief executive of the Refugee Council.

"We must ensure that the process is of the highest quality and that it is subject to effective judicial scrutiny."

Steve Symonds, legal officer at the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association agreed but struck a more cautious note.

"We would agree an appeal system is vital and proper judicial scrutiny from the higher courts is vital too," he told politics.co.uk.

"Do these proposals take that away? It's still unclear."

The plans come in a bid to 'streamline' the asylum appeals process to quicken deportations. If it became law, the asylum seekers who lost the right to appeal to the high court judicial reviews would have their cases heard by tribunal instead.