No direction home. PAFRAS briefing paper number 8

Aims

This briefing on returns is part of a series that provides concise analyses of key policies and concerns relating to people made destitute through the asylum process.

Methodology

Policy analysis and data from interviews with people who use the PAFRAS [Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers] drop-in.

Key issues

The paper discusses the contradiction between the designation of countries as unsafe for return and the level of support for those who cannot therefore be returned with reference to the cases of Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The emphasis on return to dangerous countries is critiqued in relation to foreign policy concerns and problems of the mechanisms of return outlined.

Conclusions

The human rights of people who have sought asylum seem low in a range of concerns that affect removal policies.