Britain to ban entry for asylum seekers arriving by sea

BRITAIN on Tuesday (Mar 7) set out the details of a new law barring the entry of asylum seekers into the UK in small boats.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made stopping boat arrivals one of his five key priorities after the number of migrants arriving at the south coast of England soared to more than 45,000 last year, with around 90 per cent applying for asylum.

The legislation would prevent anyone arriving on a small boat from claiming asylum; they would instead be deported to so-called safe third countries.

Secretary of State for the Home Department Suella Braverman told parliament: “They will not stop coming here until the world knows that if you enter Britain illegally, you will be detained and swiftly removed.”

“This bill enables the detention of illegal arrivals without bail or judicial review within the first 28 days of detention until they can be removed,” she added.

Braverman said those entering the country illegally would no longer be able to use anti-slavery laws to try to block their removal.

Some refugee charities said the proposal could be impractical, and could also criminalise the efforts of thousands of genuine refugees.

The Refugee Council charity said tens of thousands of genuine refugees who would previously have been granted asylum would be “locked up like criminals” under the plans. This would “shatter” Britain’s commitments under the UN refugee convention, which provides an avenue for a fair hearing for asylum seekers, no matter how they arrived in a country.

Braverman said the government was confident that the legislation was compatible with international obligations.

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Opposition parties and charities questioned whether the latest plans would be any more effective than previous attempts to deter people from making the crossing. They also flagged huge practical and legal issues to the proposals, including where migrants could be deported to if they were not allowed to claim asylum.

The new legislation will most probably face legal challenges.

Last year, former prime minister Boris Johnson agreed to a deal to send tens of thousands of migrants – many having made the journey from Afghanistan, Syria or other countries torn apart by conflict – more than 6,400 km away to Rwanda.

The policy faced a legal battle after the first planned deportation flight was blocked by a last-minute injunction granted by the European Court of Human Rights. It was ruled lawful by London’s High Court in December, but opponents are seeking to appeal that verdict. REUTERS