Britain prepares to unveil new powers to ‘stop the boats’
Prime Minister Sunak says those coming to the UK illegally will not be allowed to stay, in line with the new proposed rules.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said asylum seekers arriving in Britain via small boats across the English Channel will not be allowed to stay.
Under pressure from his own lawmakers to stop the arrival of asylum seekers in Britain, Sunak has made stopping small boats one of his top five priorities.
“Make no mistake, if you come here illegally, you won’t be able to stay,” Sunak told the Mail on Sunday, ahead of the new legislation promised as part of the government’s effort to tackle undocumented migration, due on Tuesday. could come. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the only way to Britain would be a “safe and legal route”.
Sunak said the new powers are a step towards fulfilling his promise to “stop the boats once and for all”.
“Illegal migration is not fair to the British taxpayer, it is not fair to those who come here legally and it is not right for criminal gangs to be allowed to continue their immoral trade,” he added.
“I am determined to keep my promise to stop the boats.”
The legislation is expected to make asylum applications inadmissible from those traveling to Britain on small boats, with plans to also ban them from returning once removed.
Last year, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson reached an agreement to send tens of thousands of people, many fleeing Afghanistan, Syria or other countries at war, more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to Rwanda.
The policy faced a legal battle after the first scheduled deportation flight was blocked by a last-minute order from the European Court of Human Rights.
London’s Supreme Court ruled in December that it was legal, but opponents are seeking to appeal the ruling. Under current law, asylum seekers have the right to stay in the country and have their case heard.
The latest figures from the Ministry of the Interior show that 2,950 people have already crossed the Channel this year. Last year’s figures are about 45,000.
The government’s plans have been criticized by campaigners, including concerns over whether some of the policies are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
Christina Marriott, executive director of strategy at the Red Cross, called it “extremely concerning.”
“The Department of the Interior knows from its own research that this will also do little to prevent people from risking their lives to seek safety,” Marriott said. “Time and time again we hear from people that they have no prior knowledge of the UK asylum system, so making it tougher is not an effective strategy.”