The ECU did not agree that the use of “sanctuary” represented an expression of opinion; the term has no legal meaning or relevance to Rayan’s asylum claim, and simply reflected the fact that he had reached a place of safety.  As to Rayan’s decision to proceed to the UK, the ECU noted that there is no obligation under the Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees for individuals to apply for asylum in the first safe country they reach, and considered there was therefore no occasion to challenge him on his decision.  The ECU also noted, however, that the article in its original form did not allude to the legality or otherwise of Rayan’s arrival in the UK.  In our judgement, the article fell short of the Editorial Guidelines’ requirement to ensure a wide range of significant views and perspectives are given due weight and prominence when controversial subjects are being treated, by reflecting no perspective other than Rayan’s.  Subsequent changes to the article, including the addition of references to the publication of the Illegal Migration Bill in 2022 and to the “illegal trade” by means of which Rayan had reached the UK, sufficed to redress the balance, but the BBC expects that readers of its online articles should be notified of significant changes and the reasons for them, which had not happened in this case.  The complaint was upheld in that respect.

Partly upheld