The U.K. government declared on Tuesday that it was prepared for judicial challenges to a stringent new rule designed to prevent the tens of thousands of migrants who travel to the nation in small boats by crossing the English Channel each year.
The government has “pushed the boundaries of international law,” according to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, with a bill that will prevent anyone who enters the U.K. illegally from requesting asylum and will require the government to detain and then deport them “to their home country or a safe third country.” They would never be permitted to enter the nation again.
According to Braverman’s article in the Daily Telegraph, if you entered this country illegally, you are not allowed to stay.
The government claims that its “Illegal Migration Bill,” which will be submitted in Parliament on Tuesday, will discourage migrants and hinder trafficking organizations that send helpless individuals on risky travels across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Migrants entering the UK illegally 'will be banned from claiming asylum from TODAY' as landmark crackdown 'is applied retrospectively to all arriving on small boats' and 'will cap refugee numbers'. Stop the boats too?https://t.co/qhVkFE46Gz via https://t.co/yKLuHcxeAT
— Xenomorph (@PetenShirl) March 7, 2023
The law, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, will “take back control” of U.K. borders, fulfilling a key promise of the successful but contentious campaign to oust Britain from the European Union.
Since those escaping war and persecution cannot be returned home, critics claim the idea is immoral and impractical. They also claim it is likely to be the most recent in a string of unmet immigration promises made by various U.K. governments.
The bill won’t prevent tiny vessels from navigating the English Channel. According to Laura Kyrke-Smith, executive director of humanitarian organization the International Rescue Committee, it will only worsen the pain experienced by those on these vessels and further tarnish Britain’s image for justice and compassion.
In comparison to some European nations like Italy, Germany, or France, Britain receives fewer asylum claimants. Nonetheless, thousands of immigrants from all over the world journey to northern France each year in the hopes of making it to the U.K. Many are motivated by familial links, the English language, or the impression that it will be simple to find work.
Although officials have cracked down on alternate ways like sneaking aboard buses or trucks, the majority of travelers now try the trek in dinghies and other small vessels.
Compared to 28,000 in 2021 and 8,500 in 2020, more than 45,000 migrants came in Britain by boat in 2022. The majority continued to seek refuge, but due to a backlog of more than 160,000 applications, many are now languishing in overcrowded detention facilities or hotels without being able to find employment.
The British government notes an increase in arrivals from Albania, a European nation that the U.K. considers safe, and claims that many of those making the journey are economic migrants rather than refugees.
Refugee organizations claim that the majority of people arriving through the channels are escaping poverty, conflict, or persecution in places like Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. The U.K. granted refuge to the majority of individuals whose petitions have been processed.
According to the charity, migrants take a risk crossing the English Channel because there aren’t many secure, legal routes to the U.K. The government claims that after enacting the new law, it would provide more legal routes for asylum seekers to join those already established for Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Ukraine. Nevertheless, neither the commencement date nor the number of asylum seekers who would be accepted have been disclosed.
What safe third nations will be ready to accept those who have been deported from the United Kingdom is likewise unknown. Legal issues have stalled a U.K. plan to deport refugees arriving in Britain on a one-way flight to Rwanda that was revealed last year. Despite the fact that Britain has already paid Rwanda $170 million ($140 million) as part of the agreement, nobody has been dispatched to the country in East Africa.
