As part of his commitment to “tackle unlawful migration,” Rishi Sunak made the move.
The UK’s Conservative administration, led by Rishi Sunak, is about to introduce a new rule that would bar asylum claims from anyone who enter the nation in tiny boats. This week’s introduction of the legislation is part of the government’s commitment to “tackle illegal migration.”
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Sunak stated that allowing criminal gangs to continue their immoral business was unfair to both British taxpayers and individuals who came to the country lawfully. Thus, if you enter this country illegally, you will not be allowed to stay.
The new proposal, tentatively known as the Illegal Migration Bill, attempts to prevent British law from granting asylum to individuals who enter the country using tiny vessels. Such immigrants would be sent back to Rwanda or another “safe third country” after leaving the UK “as soon as reasonably possible.” The UK will forbid asylum seekers from returning if they break the law.
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In 2022, the UK and Rwanda reached an agreement on a five-year “refuge collaboration arrangement” that will allow people to apply for asylum there. But, courts have so far prevented the UK government’s efforts to deport people to Rwanda. The initiative has received harsh criticism from human rights activists as well.
The European Convention on Human Rights and the UN’s Refugee Convention both safeguard the rights of people seeking asylum who are trying to enter the United Kingdom. The UN’s refugee convention would be effectively avoided by the Illegal Migration Bill’s “rights breach,” according to the Mail on Sunday.
The bill, according to its detractors, will not stop illegal immigration but instead result in the detention of thousands of asylum seekers at great expense to the UK public. Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council stated, “It’s impractical, expensive, and won’t stop the boats.
Some 45,755 migrants entered Britain over the English Channel last year, according to government statistics. Because records have been kept since 2018, this number is the highest it has ever been. According to the UK Home Office, 2,950 people have already crossed the border this year (2023), with immigrants coming from a number of nations, including Albania, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.
