No way to live

- The Jewish community's response to asylum destitution Jewish history teaches us, through our own experience of oppression and exile, to reach out to the marginalised and persecuted. The Torah repeatedly enjoins us to love the stranger among us. In Britain today, around half a million destitute asylum seekers survive on £5 a week or less. The numbers are growing daily. We are proud of the UK’s history of offering protection to those fleeing persecution, and we want to see those seeking sanctuary treated in a fair and dignified way. A healthy society offers justice and extends compassion to all. As members of the Jewish community in the UK, we urge the Government to: • Introduce a single asylum support system, to provide cash support to those who would otherwise be destitute while they are in the UK. Support levels should be set at a minimum of 70% of income support. • Allow all refused asylum seekers access to secondary healthcare while they are still in the UK, as was the position before 2004. • Grant asylum seekers permission to work if they have been waiting for more than six months for their case to be concluded, or if they have been refused asylum but temporarily cannot be returned through no fault of their own.