I survived torture - Starmer's small boats deal won't stop people like me from seeking safety

I had a happy childhood, but when war broke out, everything changed. To escape torture and persecution – to save my life – I had to make the painful decision to leave my country forever.

I’ve now lived in the UK for over 20 years. I will always be grateful for the welcome I received and the chance to rebuild my life in safety. But I fear that people facing the same horrors I once did may not be so lucky.

There’s a perception that people ‘genuinely’ fleeing torture can use ‘official routes’ to seek safety in the UK. But for most, these routes are simply out of reach. I would have chosen a safe route if one had been available to me. But like many others, I was forced to take a treacherous journey. No one turns to smugglers unless they are desperate.

The people crossing the Channel today are men, women and children fleeing war and torture in countries like Afghanistan and Syria. When their claims are heard, they are overwhelmingly found to be refugees.

The new UK-France deal is being presented as progress, but it’s not. The Prime Minister says the UK should offer sanctuary, yet this new plan does the opposite. It will help a small number of refugees, but only by locking up and removing others. The idea is to make the UK so hostile that people give up hope of joining their loved ones here. But I know from experience and that of fellow survivors of torture that no matter how dangerous the journey, we will do whatever we can to rejoin the people we love. If this scheme succeeds, it will drive many hundreds of refugees further into desperate and exploitative conditions as they continue, against the odds, to seek safety and rebuild their lives in the UK.

As the leaders meet again this week, they must understand that ramping up enforcement and hostility will not solve the challenges posed by the forced displacement of refugees. Instead, we need genuine global solutions that uphold human rights, dignity and the preservation of life, including safe routes, of course, but also retaining access to a fair and effective asylum system in the UK.

All too often, refugees are demonised by politicians looking to distract us from their failure to address the cost-of-living crisis, crumbling public services, and boarded-up high streets. We’ve already seen the consequences of this toxic rhetoric: scenes of violence outside asylum accommodation are a chilling reminder that hateful words can fuel hateful acts.

I haven’t given up hope. Most people want the UK to continue to offer sanctuary to refugees. But we cannot call ourselves a fair and welcoming country while people fleeing torture are treated as criminals. The UK must choose a different path – one rooted in compassion, not cruelty.

Refugees like me came here seeking safety. We deserve protection, not punishment.

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Nadine Tunasi is the Survivor Activism Manager at Freedom from Torture.

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