Greens vow to end immigration detention and decriminalise prostitution

Pledges come as party’s manifesto for women launched outside Yarl’s Wood

Amelia Womack, Green Party (Rex)

The Green Party has pledged to end immigration detention, starting with the release of the most vulnerable female asylum seekers who have suffered rape, sexual abuse or torture.

The promise comes in the party’s manifesto for women, which was being launched outside the Yarl’s Wood detention centre for female asylum seekers, ahead of a demonstration at the Bedfordshire facility.

Also included in the document was a promise to decriminalise the sale and purchase of sex, following recommendations from the United Nations and Amnesty International that banning prostitution reduces women’s safety.

And the manifesto set out plans to preserve women’s healthcare facilities, reinstate sexual health services and end pay freezes for public sector workers.

The party would also roll out a UK-wide strategy to tackle domestic violence, scrap the so-called “rape clause” for child benefit claimants and restore legal aid so that victims do not have to face their abusers in court.

Green Party deputy leader Amelia Womack said: “Detaining asylum seekers is inhumane, costly and totally unnecessary.

“Women who are coming to the UK seeking refuge are being detained in appalling conditions in centres like Yarl’s Wood, often for years with no end to their incarceration in sight.

“We can be so much better than this – a confident and caring country that welcomes people in need instead of closing our borders, building walls and locking up vulnerable people who need help.

“The bold policies we’re announcing today show that the Green Party is committed to standing up for everyone, and we are not afraid to speak out about issues other parties would rather shy away from.

“From asylum seekers to sex workers, as well as all of us who use the NHS, these policies set us on the path to building a tolerant, inclusive society.”

Under the Green plans, vulnerable asylum seekers who have experienced rape, sexual abuse or torture would immediately be released from detention so their claims can be processed in the community.

The party would impose a three-month maximum processing time for asylum applications, with the long-term aim of closing all detention centres.