The Wiener Holocaust Library and the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) have jointly criticised the UK government’s proposed Illegal Migration Bill and the language surrounding it. The two

organisations have expressed their concern over the impact of the bill and the government’s discourse, in a rare political intervention. The Wiener Holocaust Library director, Dr Toby Simpson, and the CEO of the AJR, Michael Newman, have called for compassion and the provision of safe harbour to those in danger.

The Illegal Migration Bill aims to prevent people claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive by unauthorised means, including crossing the English Channel in small boats. It would also give the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, powers to deport those who do so. However, the Refugee Council highlights that people undertake such journeys because they have no other option to reach the UK, and that two thirds of those arriving on small boats last year would qualify for refugee status.

The UN Refugee Agency has expressed concerns about the bill, stating that it would be a clear breach of the UN Refugee Convention. The Wiener Holocaust Library and the AJR have made reference to these concerns, arguing that the Refugee Convention was established after World War II and the Holocaust to improve international humanitarian protection for refugees from persecution.

Over 60 NGOs, MPs, and academics have written to Rishi Sunak, urging him to scrap the bill. The Wiener Holocaust Library and the AJR, who provide welfare aid to refugees and survivors, have called for leadership to open doors to bring those at risk out of harm’s way.

The language used by the government around the Illegal Migration Bill has also been criticised. Suella Braverman has been widely criticised for referring to migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats as an “invasion”. Her language was challenged in January by holocaust survivor Joan Salter, who argued that it reminded her of language used to dehumanise and justify the murder of her family and millions of others.

The Wiener Holocaust Library and the AJR have emphasised the need to learn from history to avoid further avoidable suffering. They call on governments to demonstrate compassion and provide safe harbour to those in danger. Their joint statement is a reminder of the vital importance of upholding the principles of the Refugee Convention to ensure better international humanitarian protection for refugees from persecution. Photo by WienerLibraryWIR, Wikimedia commons.