NI public reject asylum seeker imprisonment

Leading human rights group, Amnesty International has called on the Government to reverse its "harsh asylum policies" and foster a more informed public debate on asylum issues.

It follows a survey which revealed that nearly 9 out of 10 Northern Ireland people are opposed to the Government’s current practice of locking up asylum seekers in Maghaberry Prison.

Commenting on the figures, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Programme Director in Northern Ireland, said: “The poll appears to confirm what we have long believed – that Northern Ireland people are generally very welcoming to asylum seekers.

“It shows that Amnesty International’s demands for a fair asylum policy is strongly backed by the Northern Ireland public and should lead the Government to rethink its harsh policy towards asylum seekers.

“It is a continuing outrage to the common decency of people in Northern Ireland that the Government insists on locking up asylum seekers in Maghaberry Prison and we want to see an immediate end to this repugnant practice."

The survey, carried out on behalf of Amnesty International, also shows that people here massively overestimate the number of asylum seekers, believing ten times as many asylum seekers are entering the UK than is actually the case.

The survey was conducted at the request of Amnesty International via the Science Shop community research resource, operated by the University of Ulster and Queen’s University Belfast.

(MB)