The Guardian reported yesterday that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, raised concerns that the Government's controversial new Immigration Bill will damage communities and lead to the marginalisation of refugees and asylum-seekers.
According to the Guardian, Guterres warned that the Bill's proposed new immigration laws could create a climate of ethnic profiling.
The Guardian quoted a UNHCR briefing note to British MPs as stating: "The UN high commissioner for refugees is concerned that if introduced, such measures could contribute towards a climate of misunderstanding and ethnic profiling that could undermine the longer-term prospects for integration of such persons and prove detrimental to social cohesion."
The note continued: "Additionally, the UN high commissioner for refugees is concerned that the types of documentation carried by asylum-seekers, refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and stateless people can be varied and complex, and landlords and other service providers are likely to misinterpret the legality of their status."
"It will also impose an additional administrative burden on them. These challenges may have unintended consequences such as the denial of housing and other services to asylum-seekers, refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection that result in their marginalisation and inhibit their integration in the United Kingdom."
The Daily Telegraph reported that the UNHCR's views drew criticism from Conservative MPs.
Andrew Mitchell, former international development secretary, was quoted as saying: "It is not really the UN's remit. António Guterres may well have strong opinions, but it is not really for the United Nations to interfere."
He added: "It's not a refugee or a sanctuary issue and of course those are the key issues which Guterres and the UNHCR is mandated to address."