Ajit Karn
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Wednesday (local time) said that the UK asylum bill would ‘undermine’ international law.
This week, British Home Secretary Suella Braverman introduced an Illegal Migration Bill aimed at preventing people from crossing the English Channel to reach the United Kingdom, which, if passed, “would amount to an asylum ban,” according to a statement from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
The British government has made it a top priority to prevent the arrival of small boats. According to the plans, those who arrive via this route will be detained and deported. Those who have been expelled will not be permitted to return.
According to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, migrants who illegally enter the country by boat “will be detained, removed, and prohibited from re-entering.”
In small boats, over 45,000 people crossed the Channel illegally last year.
“That is unfair to those who enter the country legally and to British citizens who follow the rules.” The Illegal Migration Bill introduced today introduces new laws to stop the boats, according to Sunak.
“The Illegal Migration Bill ensures that illegal immigrants cannot remain in the United Kingdom. “Once they realise that illegal entry will result in detention and swift removal, they will stop coming, and the boats will stop,” he added.
However, the UNHCR stated on Tuesday that the bill would constitute a “clear violation” of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines refugees as those seeking refuge from persecution. Additionally, it protects them from being sent back into danger at home unless absolutely necessary.
“The majority of people fleeing war and persecution are simply unable to obtain the necessary passports and visas. There are no safe and “legal” routes available to them. According to the agency’s statement, “denying them asylum on this basis undermines the very purpose for which the Refugee Convention was established.”
According to the Illegal Migration Bill, individuals who enter the United Kingdom illegally are prohibited from claiming asylum, benefiting from modern slavery protections, making false human rights claims, and remaining in the country.
“Today, we are introducing new laws that will prohibit illegal immigrants from ever reentering the United Kingdom. This is how we will dismantle the business model of people smugglers and regain control of our borders, said Sunak.
“If you enter the United Kingdom illegally, you will be prevented from filing late claims and attempting to thwart your removal. You will be removed within weeks, either to your home country if it is safe to do so, or to a safe third country such as Rwanda,” the British prime minister added.
Every year, an increasing number of refugees and migrants fleeing conflict, persecution, and poverty risk the perilous crossing between Britain and France, igniting a national debate on the issue of migrant crossings to the UK.
Tens of thousands of people travel in unseaworthy dinghies at the mercy of people smugglers in order to seek asylum or economic opportunities in the United Kingdom. According to UK government data, 45,755 people crossed the Channel in small boats in 2022. More than 3,000 people have already made the crossing this year.
The UK government announced a scheme last year that would send asylum seekers deemed to have entered the country illegally to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed.
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The European Convention on Human Rights, a major point of contention in post-Brexit British politics, prevented the first planned deportation flight to Rwanda.
