Lords' asylum judgement a victory for decency

5.54.50pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Nov 2005

Commenting on today's decision by the House of Lords confirming that the denial of benefits as well as work to asylum seekers contravenes human rights laws, Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP said:

"This is a victory for decency. I am glad that the House of Lords has struck out as "inhuman or degrading treatment" this government's double whammy to asylum-seekers of a ban on both work and welfare, in other words compulsory destitution."

"Yet again we see the value of both the Human Rights Act, incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights, and a robustly independent judiciary. No wonder Tony Blair would like to abolish both!"

"The Liberal Democrat solution - which should be extended across the EU as part of a rational and humane common policy - is to allow asylum-seekers to work 2 months after their arrival. Let us stop scapegoating and demonising refugees, but instead treat them with dignity and profit from their skills at least until a decision is made on their claim."