Migration Justice Project welcomes NI Executive commitment to provide protection for Afghan refugees

The Migration Justice Project at Law Centre NI has welcomed the Northern Ireland Executive’s commitment to assist with the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan by welcoming Afghan refugees arriving under resettlement schemes to build a new life in Northern Ireland.

Liz Griffith of the Migration Justice Project said:

“We warmly welcome the Northern Ireland Executive’s commitment to providing protection for vulnerable Afghan refugees who have had to flee their country in recent weeks. Northern Ireland has built up a wealth of experience and expertise over the past five years through its support of the Syrian Resettlement Scheme and can now play a vital role in supporting and assisting those Afghanis who are now seeking refuge in the UK. The Syrian Resettlement Scheme provides a tried and tested model as to how Northern Ireland can welcome and integrate refugees.

The current world events remind us of the importance of states upholding the Refugee Convention 1951 in its fullest sense. The UK’s Nationality and Borders Bill will deny refugee protection for people who do not arrive in the UK through “regular” means and we urge the Executive to underscore its opposition to the Bill’s provisions in its discussions with Westminster so that Northern Ireland remains a place of sanctuary for all those whose lives have been turned upside down because of war, unrest or persecution.”