Just a few days before the Conservative Party conference, the home secretary set out how she thought the global asylum system should be changed. The address was made to a US think tank as Ms Braverman visited Washington DC.
The United Nations’ refugee agency and Sir Elton John have rebuked the home secretary after she claimed the current asylum system is no longer fit for purpose.
Suella Braverman called for a reform of the “outdated” international system in a speech in Washington DC.
She branded the number of displaced people in the world as an “epoch-defining challenge”, and said being gay or a woman should not be enough to gain asylum.
The senior cabinet minister – whose speech was signed off by Number 10 – called for reform of the 1951 UN Human Rights Convention, which forms the basis of the asylum system.
The UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, responded to Ms Braverman’s speech by saying the convention “remains as relevant today as when it was adopted in providing an indispensable framework for addressing those challenges, based on international co-operation”.
Sir Elton said Ms Braverman risked “further legitimising hate and violence” against LGBT+ people.
The UN agency added: “The need is not for reform, or more restrictive interpretation, but for stronger and more consistent application of the convention and its underlying principle of responsibility sharing.
“An appropriate response to the increase in arrivals and to the UK’s current asylum backlog would include strengthening and expediting decision-making procedures.
“This would accelerate the integration of those found to be refugees and facilitate the swift return of those who have no legal basis to stay.
“UNHCR has presented the UK government with concrete and actionable proposals in this regard and continues to support constructive, ongoing efforts to clear the current asylum backlog.”
