UK to announce asylum ban plan for Straits migrants

LONDON – The UK government is due to announce on Tuesday plans for new legislation to bar people entering the country through unofficial channels from claiming asylum.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping the arrival of ships one of his five key priorities after the number of migrants who arrived on England’s south coast surged to more than 45,000 last year, with around 90% of them applying for asylum. I got one.

The new law means that anyone who arrives by small boat cannot apply for asylum and will be deported to a so-called safe third country, according to a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A spokesman for the prime minister said on Monday: “We are robbing people who really need our help and are in an unacceptable situation and it’s just not fair. That’s why we are illegally coming here and stopping ships.” We must remove the incentive to jump the line by doing so.”

The Refugee Council charity said tens of thousands of genuine refugees who had previously been granted asylum were “trapped like criminals” under the scheme, breaking Britain’s commitments under the UN Refugee Convention. He said he would “break it down.”

Anger over immigration in some areas has played a crucial role in UK politics over the past decade, successfully deployed by campaigners as a tool to stomp support for Brexit ahead of the 2016 referendum. rice field.

A YouGov poll in November found that controlling immigration was the third most important issue for voters, after running the economy and health services. A poll found that 87% of the public think the government is not handling the issue well.

Opposition parties and charities question whether the latest plan is more effective than previous attempts to block the channel crossing, which has proven beneficial to traffickers and dangerous to migrants. Four people drowned when a boat capsized in December.

Last year, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to send tens of thousands of migrants. Many have traveled from Afghanistan, Syria or other countries torn by conflict- More than 6,400 km to Rwanda.

But the first planned deportation flight was blocked in June by a last-minute injunction granted by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), after which the legitimacy of the strategy was challenged in London’s High Court. rice field.

A court then ruled in December that it was legal, but opponents are seeking to appeal the ruling. The legal battle ended in the UK Supreme Court and is expected to remain unresolved for several months.

Snack is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday to seek further cooperation in dealing with gangs involved in smuggling people across the Channel.

Sunak said last year that Britain was ready to open more legal routes for asylum seekers once small boat travel ended. However, he does not say what these will be.Reuters