Submission to the UK Parliament’s Human Rights (Joint Committee) ‘Human Rights of Asylum Seekers in the UK’ inquiry

In this submission, we identify key elements of the SOGICA project findings and recommendations that we urge the UK government to adopt in its national asylum and migration policy. In light of increasing xenophobia and LGBTIQ+ hate crime in the UK and beyond, it is critical that Committee members are aware of the experiences of SOGI asylum claimants in the UK when making their recommendations, to recognise the needs of this group and promote domestic law and policy that is based on international refugee and human rights standards – unlike currently. Many of the problems that affect SOGI minorities claiming asylum are shared with other claimants, refugees and migrants more generally – issues such as racism, limited legal advice, and inadequate decision-making. While these issues are beyond the scope of our submission, we believe our recommendations are a basis for some focussed and often small changes that can enhance the human rights of all refugees and SOGI minorities. Our answers focus on questions 1-2, 4, 6-7, and 10 of the inquiry.