Title: Asylum UK
I have just begun research for a film on the experience of asylum seeking in the UK, it is a veritable minefield. The papers today are full of ‘shock’ ‘problem of ‘etc quoting figures of 111 000 for 2002, but these figures have been out since last year and they refer to APPLICATIONS not to those who after what would seem a wholly ridiculous system actually achieve the status of Refugee and are able to seek work etc. According to the stats, it would appear that less than 50% of those who apply for asylum in the UK actually make it, the rest are sent back either to original country of entry or home, so called ‘pressures’ on the system are in effect created by a system that is overloaded and unable to deal with the situation, fuelled by the media hype it must make the actual experience of seeking asylum even uglier. (stats taken from <www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk>).
Our intention with the film is to allow the subjects the space and respect to inform the audience of the actual experience of seeking asylum in the UK. What I personally find distasteful is the media assumption that Asylum Seekers are leeching off the state, whereas in truth the state makes it nigh on impossible for Asylum Seekers to work and support themselves and their dependants. The media never refer to the global situation of Asylum Seeking, Refugee status and Internally displaced people, why do they only refer to the local when the situation is so much more complicated. When I hear people complaining about the issue of Asylum Seeking in the UK I always refer them to the reality that the majority of people seeking refuge do so either within their country of domicile or in countries nearby (e.g.. Southern Sudan). Ironically, in the UK the vast majority of those seeking asylum come from countries where the UK are contributing to the domicile situation which results in people having to seek asylum in the first place (Afghanistan, Iraq). People seem to forget history, and the middle east seems to be no exception, lest we forget the Map Makers in the early post colonial period.
I would like to hear from anyone who has personal experience of seeking asylum particularly in the UK or from anyone who might want to share ideas for this film project. Please contact me, any help suggestions would be much appreciated, davidgriggs@gaia.or.g.uk .