The hardest and most painful thing one can imagine is to leave one's own home, family, and friends. The reason behind this may be different for each person. If I take my own example, I left my home for a higher quality of education and to explore opportunities in international human rights organisations. Since coming to the UK, I have seen people belonging to different corners of the world who came here for work, protection of life, and as refugees.
As a student of Human Rights and Diplomacy at the University of Stirling, Scotland, I’ve developed an interest in issues related to human rights which are connected internationally. In our current world, when conflicts and war are going on, a large number of people are fleeing from their countries towards developed countries in Europe or UK as the case may be for their safety and seeking asylum. I am focusing on the Right to Asylum and refugees because the government of the UK is hosting a large number of immigrants as refugees and asylum seekers.
I kept coming across different stories of people who moved from their homes, crossed borders by road or river, and risk their lives just to find a safer place to exist. But the thing that has been most noticeable for me in the UK was that now asylum has been used as a path to settlement in these Western countries and not just as a safety measure.
Asylum in the UK often appears as a hot topic in daily conversations, but still, it is not understood what it really means and who actually qualifies for it.
Asylum should not be used as a tool for immigration; rather, its sole purpose should be the protection of those who really feel their life is in danger. The terms asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants have now become the centre of many political debates. Migrants use asylum as a safe path when they are left with no other option to protect themselves.
The current data of the UK government shows an increase in asylum applications from people who entered the UK through a legal channel. Hosting countries welcome people on humanitarian grounds, but the excessive increase in asylum applications has raised questions in the international community about the rights of asylum seekers, resulting in some countries setting new immigration rules or enforced strict immigration processes including what these rights entail and the duties of those seeking asylum, as well as their limitations.
My articles will shed some light on both dimensions of the right to asylum.
I will also discuss the rights of these people, along with the duties of these people towards the hosting country. I will also write about whether asylum rights are used for their true purpose, whether international law is being upheld in its true spirit or not, and what threats or disadvantages have been faced by the hosting states and what future holds for asylum rights. The articles will also include interviews with representatives of international human rights organisations, and a book review.
Please click through to read each of my articles on the Right to Asylum and Human Rights:
Shehryar Hassan is the Right to Asylum and Human Rights Editor for Wandering Educators. He is a Master’s student in Human Rights and Diplomacy at the University of Stirling, with a strong academic and professional interest in international human rights. Passionate about issues concerning asylum seekers and displaced persons, Shehryar is currently interning with Wandering Educators as The Right to Asylum & Human Rights Editor, where they contribute to articles exploring global human rights topics. Dedicated to advancing human rights advocacy, Shehryar aspires to work with international organizations supporting vulnerable communities worldwide.