CRACKDOWN STATEMENT, ASYLUM NOT CRIME)

Why This Is Important?

The UK Home Office recently posted that it is “cracking down on Botswana asylum claims.” This public message is intimidating, discriminatory, and misleading, suggesting that Batswana claims will be judged collectively, not on merit.

Seeking asylum is not a criminal offense. It is a lawful right under UK and international law. Yet as it stands, Batswana living in the UK who are seeking asylum are being unfairly stigmatized, facing fear, hostility, and public prejudice. Botswana itself faces ongoing gender-based violence, health system collapse, and state protection failures, making the need for asylum legitimate and urgent.

We call on the UK Government and international human rights bodies to ensure that asylum seekers from Botswana are treated fairly, lawfully, and without discrimination.

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Stop the Crackdown on Batswana Asylum Seekers, Recognise the Reality of Insecurity in Botswana

To: Rt Hon Home Secretary (UK Home Office)

UK Parliament – Home Affairs Committee

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

The UK Home Office recently posted publicly that it is “cracking down on Botswana asylum claims.”

This statement is alarming, intimidating, and discriminatory. It implies that all Batswana seeking asylum in the UK are automatically suspicious or undeserving, rather than being assessed on the merits of their individual cases. The imagery used, including closed airport gates and red“X” symbols, reinforces a hostile and prejudicial message that undermines trust in the asylum process.

Such public messaging is misleading and unlawful, as it contradicts UK and international law protecting the right to seek asylum. Seeking asylum is not a criminal offense, yet Batswana in the UK who do so are being stigmatized and publicly treated as if they are lawbreakers. Every claim must be evaluated fairly, individually, and without prejudice.

Botswana faces ongoing gender-based violence, public health collapse, economic insecurity, and failures in state protection. Citizens fleeing these conditions should not be stigmatized or treated as a collective problem.

We call upon the UK Home Office, the Home Affairs Committee, and the UNHCR to ensure that asylum seekers from Botswana are treated lawfully, fairly, and without discrimination, and that the UK Government immediately withdraws this harmful “crackdown” message.

Background

On the official Home Office Facebook page, a post declared:

“We are cracking down on Botswana asylum claims.”

This has caused distress among Batswana nationals currently in the UK asylum process. It implies that claims will not be considered on their individual merits, undermining fairness and impartiality under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Asylum Seeking Is a Legal Right

The Home Office stated that many Batswana “enter as visitors and later seek asylum.”

This misrepresents the law and spreads public misconception.

People may lawfully claim asylum at entry or after entry into the UK.

Article 31 of the Refugee Convention forbids penalising people who seek refuge after arrival.

Paragraph 327 of the UK Immigration Rules defines an asylum claim as valid whether made at a port of entry or after entry.

Portraying Batswana asylum seekers as abusing visas is inaccurate and unfairly stigmatizes legitimate claimants. Seeking asylum is not a crime.

Botswana Is Not a Safe Country

Botswana has not been designated a “safe country” under Section 94 of the UK Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

Each case must therefore be assessed individually and fairly.

Evidence of ongoing insecurity:

Gender-Based Violence (GBV):

Over 67% of women in Botswana have experienced physical or sexual violence (UNFPA GBV Indicators Study).

Only 1.2% of cases are reported to police, reflecting deep mistrust in authorities.

Public Health and Medical Emergency:

In August 2025, Botswana declared a national public health emergency due to critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies (Reuters, 25 Aug 2025; The Guardian, 26 Aug 2025).

Hospitals and clinics have run out of essential drugs for chronic and life-threatening conditions including cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, and mental health treatment.

Non-urgent surgeries have been suspended, exposing structural failures in the healthcare system.

Failures in State Protection:

Survivors of GBV, whistle-blowers, and vulnerable citizens face retaliation and lack of state support.

Economic Collapse and Extreme Unemployment:

Botswana faces one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Southern Africa.

Business Weekly & Review and Mmegi report overall unemployment at 27%, with youth unemployment above 38–45%, leaving over 287,000 Batswana jobless.

(AP News, 2025) notes declining diamond revenues, corruption, and economic contraction exacerbate poverty and inequality.

While economic hardship alone does not define refugee status under the Refugee Convention, extreme unemployment, economic collapse, medical shortages, gender-based violence, and lack of protection together create an environment of insecurity and forced migration.

Our Demands

We call on the UK Government to:

Withdraw discriminatory messaging such as the “crackdown on Botswana asylum claims” post.

Reaffirm publicly that asylum cases will be judged individually and fairly.

Acknowledge that seeking asylum upon or after entry is lawful under UK and international law, and is not a criminal offense.

Pause new visa restrictions on Botswana nationals pending a review of human rights conditions.

Recognise GBV, health system collapse, and economic insecurity as legitimate grounds for asylum or humanitarian protection.

Engage directly with Batswana community groups, UNHCR, and human rights observers to ensure transparency and fairness.

To the International Community

We urge the United Nations, African Union, SADC, and human rights defenders to:

Investigate Botswana’s GBV, medical, and economic crises;

Monitor the UK’s treatment of Batswana asylum seekers;

Protect those seeking safety from persecution, insecurity, or systemic collapse.

Seeking safety is not a crime.

Sign this petition to demand fairness, humanity, and justice for Batswana asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.