The UK government has announced plans for a new law aimed at preventing tens of thousands of people from reaching the country by small boats across the English Channel. The proposed legislation has been heavily criticised by refugee rights groups, who argue that it is unethical and unworkable. The government, however, has stated that it is prepared for legal challenges to the bill, which will bar asylum claims by anyone who reaches the UK by unauthorised means and will compel the government to detain and then deport them “to their home country or a safe third country”. They would be barred from ever re-entering the country.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman stated that the government had “pushed the boundaries of international law” with the Illegal Migration Bill, which is being introduced in Parliament. The British government maintains that many of those making the journey are economic migrants rather than refugees, and points to an upswing last year in arrivals from Albania, a European country that the UK considers safe. However, refugee groups argue that most of the Channel arrivals are fleeing war, persecution or famine in countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. A majority of those whose claims have been processed were granted asylum in the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the new law would “take back control” of UK borders – a central pledge of the successful but divisive campaign to take Britain out of the European Union. The government says its Illegal Migration Bill will deter “migrants” and hobble smuggling gangs who send desperate people on hazardous journeys across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. However, critics argue that the plan is unlikely to succeed, as people fleeing war and persecution cannot be sent home.
The charities say refugees and migrants risk the cross-channel journey because there are few safe, legal ways to reach the UK. Britain receives fewer asylum seekers than some European nations such as Italy, Germany or France. However, thousands of people from around the world travel to northern France each year in hopes of reaching the UK, drawn by family ties, the English language or the perceived ease of getting a job. Most attempt the journey in dinghies and other small craft now that authorities have clamped down on other routes such as stowing away on buses or trucks.
More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain by boat in 2022, up from 28,000 in 2021 and 8,500 in 2020. Most went on to claim asylum, but a backlog of more than 160,000 cases has led to many languishing in overcrowded processing centres or hotels without the right to work. The government says that once its new law is in place, it will establish more legal paths to asylum, adding to those set up for Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Ukraine. However, it has not said how many asylum seekers will be admitted or when the programme will start.
It is also unclear what safe third countries will be willing to take in people deported from Britain. A plan announced by the UK last year to send people arriving in Britain on a one-way trip to Rwanda is mired in legal challenges. No one has been sent to the East African country, though Britain has already paid Rwanda 140 million pounds ($170m) under the deal. Critics argue that the new law will not stop small boats crossing the Channel and will only add to the trauma of the people in these boats while further damaging Britain’s global reputation for fairness and compassion.
In conclusion, while the UK government believes that its new Illegal Migration Bill will deter migrants and hobble smuggling gangs who send desperate people on hazardous journeys across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, critics argue that it is unlikely to succeed. The charities say refugees and migrants risk the cross-channel journey because there are few safe, legal ways to reach the UK. Furthermore, it is unclear what safe third countries will be willing to take in people deported from Britain. The proposed legislation has been heavily criticised by refugee rights groups who argue that it is unethical and unworkable.