A less than generous spirit

Thousands of Iraqis who risked their lives working with the British have been deemed ‘ineligible’ for the asylum they were promised

Monday, 23 June 2008 published by the Guardian

Many Iraqis have risked their lives and their families’ lives by ‘collaborating’ with the British. Last October David Miliband announced a government policy to aid the interpreters, translators and other local staff who have worked on Britain’s behalf in Iraq. The aid’s eligibility criteria included problematic conditions that belied its less than generous spirit. Nonetheless, it was a start and the press and the public welcomed it.

Anyone who had worked for the British in Iraq continuously for at least 12 months was eligible to claim asylum or a financial package. If they had been working after the August 8 2007, they qualified for “direct access” to the UK. If their work had ceased before this date then they would be eligible through the “gateway” scheme. This involves travelling to a third country, such as Jordan or Syria, and applying for refugee status through the UNHCR.

The British have employed thousands of Iraqi civilians and the government has received at least 1,138 applications for aid from current and former staff since October. Less than half of these people have been determined eligible for assistance. Many applications could not fulfill the criteria of 12 months continuous service because translators worked intermittently accompanying different military tours of duty. These employment gaps disqualify them for aid.

Of the 503 Iraqis found “eligible” for assistance, how many have entered the country to date? Just three, including an interpreter. They arrived with their wives and children in April, and that has been the full realisation of Miliband’s great promise to date. It must be said that more Iraqis are opting for the financial package than asylum. British officials say this shows what a happier prospect Iraq is for people now. Perhaps. Or perhaps Iraqis have noticed that only three men have actually achieved asylum and don’t fancy their own chances. They’re taking the money as a guaranteed option.

Departments are quick to shirk responsibility for the travesty. Accountability is passed between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Home Office, Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence. Press officers are keen to say how “complex” the task is, how things don’t happen instantly and that everyone is doing all they can. But while we delay and obfuscate, Iraqis are struggling to survive. This scheme is Foreign Office-led, so that means Miliband is ultimately culpable. He delivered the promise so he should surely face up to the demand for delivery. The Home Office’s BIA are overseeing vetting of applications. Delays are on their shoulders.

Denmark provides an illuminating comparison. To date, 390 Iraqis have been flown into Denmark. The Danes covertly took this action and announced its success once the interpreters had safely arrived. What a refreshing change from our hollow politics of posturing. It is depressingly predictable that Britain has made the announcement, wallowed in the good press and not worried about executing the policy. Our gullible media goes along for the ride; it’s easy and quotable to report a promise, it is far more complicated to dig for the truth, to test its mettle.

Our press is therefore culpable too. We are allowing the hollow politics to prevail. With the exception of the Times, and Deborah Haynes in particular, who have kept pressure on this story, the national press can be accused of a dereliction of duty. The Daily Mail reported that up to 1,500 Iraqis would be flown to Britain, arriving in waves of 100 every fortnight from April. Well, there has only been one wave so far and it was made up of 18, not 100, and there hasn’t been another since. The Telegraph and the Guardian also reported similar figures. The MOD and the Home Office rubbished the claims when I inquired, yet they were printed and gave people in Iraq hope. No one stood up and said it was wrong, no paper issued a correction, and the government enjoyed the good press. Many people think hundreds of interpreters have arrived because of such stories that mislead common consciousness.

There is a group of interpreters in a third country now, with British assistance, awaiting entrance to the UK through “gateway”. They should arrive in the coming months. These are the lucky ones. Many interpreters heard our promises, reacted ecstatically and fled to a third country. Many deemed eligible for the scheme are now still waiting, without news, in a country in which they have no right to work. They are reliant upon family members still in Iraq sending money and they are starting to lose hope. You could say these are still the lucky ones. Others have already been killed, or lost family members, or have been deemed ineligible for some reason. The lack of political will to help these people in a desperate situation is a damning indictment of Britain that surely exposes our humanitarian case for war as a disgraceful facade. In a House of Lords debate, Lord Fowler asked “Is it a generous response to people who have helped us or is it the least that the government can get away with?” I think it’s definitely the latter. The real question is: will we let them get away with so little?