POL246: The image of a three-year-old child’s body washed up on a Turkish beach is only the most visible face among the large: Public Policy Analysis Assignment, MU, Singapore

The image of a three-year-old child’s body washed up on a Turkish beach is only the most visible face among the large number of tragic deaths resulting from the perilous journey of the world’s desperate to reach safety. Some European leaders have been pressured to stop asylum-seekers in order to prevent the changing of Europe ‘forever’ and this has brought about serious debates regarding diversity, issues of refugee conventions not being adhered to, and the general dilemma of the refugee crisis.

The UK refugee policy has been selected as it has created various issues within the European Union and the United Kingdom in terms of diversity, refugee issues being given certain terms such as “people smugglers” or boat people, and that they are taking away jobs. After Brexit, the British government developed some policies to manage the high flow of refugees from European land and waters. It requires further analysis and proper policy adjustments.

An outline of the causal factors that contribute to the policy problem

From 2016 onwards since the Brexit referendum, the British government has passed a number of legislations to stop the flow of asylum-seekers, including detaining indefinitely in detention centers all those who arrive through the Channel from Europe in boats. Furthermore, they have had widespread public support for doing so since it has exhausted the availability of dormitories and accommodated them in hotels. Violence has also broken out when shared facilities were provided.

The actions based on Stone’s model (Stone, 1988) are purposeful and the consequences are the intentional cause of oppression. It is intended in terms of policy implementation to block boats reaching the waters of the United
Kingdom. It is intended in order to prevent further dangers to the people.

Table 1 provides a trend in refugees provided asylum where the United Kingdom has been ranked 6th in the world. Providing alternative refugee solutions in other countries, especially, Rwanda has led human rights agencies to demonstrate that it is oppression and cruelty. The actions are intentional and purposeful.

It is worth asking what an alternative policy for the United Kingdom might look like—one that abides by the international obligations to protect refugees that were set up following World War II, while also reducing the casualties of dangerous migration. In maintaining its policy of mandatory detention of asylum-seekers, the British government has breached several international conventions and the United Nations has made inquiries. There has also been widespread physical, mental, and sexual abuse of detainees.