Britain’s controversial plan to prevent illegal migrants from reaching British shores was approved on Tuesday, drawing criticism from the United Nations. The legislation banned asylum claims by migrants arriving in the country via the English Channel and other “illegal” routes, transferring them to third countries such as Rwanda.
Opposition to the bill was finally crushed in a night session, just hours before a ship that will be used to receive migrants arrived at a port on the south coast of England.
The ship Bibby Stockholm, docked in the port of Portland, Dorset, is expected to accommodate 500 asylum seekers from the end of this month while the claims are analysed. With 90 meters in length, 3 floors, bars, gym, restaurant, church and games room, the boat only lacks an engine.
Migrants will not be detained and will be able to enter and exit the ship freely, explains a note from the British Home Office. The Government also undertakes to organize activities such as walks, community gardens, community gardens, volunteering or soccer matches.
Upon arrival at the Portland pier, several protesters protested against the treatment of immigrants, which they considered inhumane.
The representative of the conservative party in the city, on the other hand, questions the safety of the boat, since it originally had just over 200 rooms and was designed to receive the same number of people.
There are also those who question the effectiveness of the measure, since more than 500 people cross the English Channel illegally every day. This year alone, there have been more than 13,000.
The Government also welcomes refugees in three deactivated military bases, in addition to wanting to increase the number of boats to welcome migrants.
The United Nations Refugee Agency condemned the passage of the government’s bill on illegal migration, calling it a “violation of international law” that would expose refugees to “grave risks.”
“This new legislation significantly erodes the legal framework that has protected many people,” said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. The move also sets a “worrying precedent for the dismantling of asylum obligations, which other countries, including in Europe, may be tempted to follow,” added UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
The bill will now become law following the “royal consent” formality of King Carlos III.
More than 45,000 migrants reached the shores of southeast England in small boats in 2022, a 60% year-on-year increase on a dangerous route that has been used by more people every year since 2018.
Migration, both legal and illegal, has been a key political issue in the UK and was one of the main battlegrounds for the 2016 Brexit referendum, in which the country left the European Union.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has promised “no more boats”, insisted that Rwanda’s plan would have a significant deterrent effect by showing that anyone who comes to the UK illegally will be able to stay.
However, the UN says the 1951 Refugee Convention “explicitly recognizes that refugees may be forced to enter a country of asylum irregularly.” Home Secretary for the Conservative government in the upper house, Simon Murray, said the large number of arrivals had “overwhelmed” the UK asylum system.
“If people know there’s no way they can stay in the UK, they won’t risk their lives or pay criminals thousands of pounds to get here illegally,” he said.
“Therefore, it is more than fair that we stop the ships and break the business model of criminal groups that exploit vulnerable people,” he added.
Alex Fraser, the director of refugee support for the British Red Cross, calls it a “dark day” as it will leave many people from places like Sudan and Syria in detention, destitution and permanent limbo.
The plan for Rwanda, announced by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year, was blocked at the last minute by the European Court of Human Rights, which is independent of the EU, and remains mired in legal challenges. Sunak said he respected the court but “fundamentally” disagreed with the judges’ conclusions.
To date, there have been no deportation flights to Rwanda. Human rights groups accuse Rwanda, ruled with an iron fist by President Paul Kagame since the end of the 1994 genocide that killed an estimated 800,000 people, of suppressing freedom of expression and opposition.
Source: TSF
