Home Office risks repeating Windrush mistakes with flawed credibility assessments
The Home Office risks repeating the mistakes of the Windrush scandal unless it overhauls its systems, a charity has reportedly claimed.
The Freedom from Torture (FFT) charity said it has seen a draft of the Windrush Lessons Learned review, claiming it implies protocols which led to the suffering of the Windrush generation are still causing issues in ongoing immigration situations, according to The Guardian.
The paper said FFT’s report Lessons Not Learned concluded the Home Office continues to carry out flawed credibility assessments and an unlawful and unrealistic evidential burden is placed on applicants.
The Windrush Lessons Learned report was commissioned by the Home Secretary last year in the wake of the immigration scandal which saw British subjects detained, denied legal rights and threatened with deportation. It has yet to be published.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “The UK has a proud record of providing protection to those fleeing persecution. In the 12 months to June we gave protection to over 18,500 people, the highest number since 2003.
“This report brings together information from reports that are up to 15 years old. The Home Office has made significant changes over this period and continues to work with Freedom from Torture and other organisations to improve the asylum system.”
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