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3rd November 2006
Letter
to The Sun
Re: “Illegal begs to be kicked out”
Dear Ms Hagan,
Having read your article “Illegal begs to be kicked out”, I am troubled that you would misrepresent asylum seeking, as there is no such thing as an “illegal asylum seeker”. It cannot be illegal to seek asylum as it is a fundamental human right under international law.
The article is not only inaccurate, but also misleading. A person is only referred to as an asylum seeker when they have applied for asylum and are awaiting a response. Hence, as this man was denied asylum, he is no longer recognised as an asylum seeker and should not, therefore, be represented as such. By referring to the asylum seeker as an “illegal” you are misinforming The Sun’s readers and misrepresenting asylum seekers -- persons fleeing persecution and war.
Hostile and alarmist media coverage of asylum and refugees undermines the lives of those who have had to flee persecution, rather than inform any legitimate public debate on these issues.
I would like to draw your attention to the guidelines established by UNHCR and the National Union of Journalists on the accurate and fair reporting of asylum issues. These can be found on our website at www.unhcr.org.uk.
We hope that you will find this information helpful in your reporting of asylum issues.
Yours Sincerely,
Peter Kessler
Senior External Affairs Officer
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