Vicky Tennant has said that the U.K. Government’s proposed asylum law is very concerning and would block even those with a compelling claim
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative to the United Kingdom (U.K.) – Vicky Tennant has said that the U.K. Government’s proposed asylum law is very concerning and would block even those with a compelling claim.
UNHRC warned that the new law would break international law and is not needed to stop Channel Crossings. This comes a day after the U.K. outlined a new law which would effectively ban anyone who arrives via an illegal route from claiming asylum in the U.K.
People removed from the U.K. will be blocked from returning or seeking British citizenship in future. Migrants will not get bail or be able to seek judicial review for the first 28 days of detention. There will be a cap on the number of refugees the U.K. will settle through “safe and legal routes”, set annually by Parliament.
It will be a duty of the Home Secretary to detain those arriving in the U.K. illegally and remove them to Rwanda or a safe third country. This will take legal precedence over someone’s right to claim asylum. The measure is part of attempts to address an increase in the number of people arriving in the U.K. via Channel crossings each year, which rose from around 300 in 2018 to more than 45,000 in 2022.
Speaking to media, Tennant said, “We’re very concerned. This is effectively closing off access to asylum in the UK for people arriving irregularly. We believe it’s a clear breach of the Refugee Convention and remember even people with very compelling claims will simply not have the opportunity to put these forward.”
Tennant said that the U.K. has a longstanding humanitarian tradition and that issues with migration could be addressed with proper controls and a better-administered system. Tennant said that if f people aren’t entitled to asylum then they must be sent back to their own countries.
The Prime Minister of the U.K. – Rishi Sunak said he believed it would not be necessary for the U.K. to leave the ECHR in order to enact the policy.
Sunak said, “My policy is very simple: it is this country and your government who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.”
He added that he believed the policy would quite quickly have a deterrent effect on those trying to come to the U.K. by illegal routes.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Labour Party’s shadow Home Secretary – Yvette Cooper accused the Government of having allowed criminal gangs to take hold along the Channel and failing to deliver convictions of people smugglers. She said that if the Government were serious, they would be working internationally to get a proper new agreement in place with France and Europe, including return agreements, properly controlled and managed legal routes such as family reunion, and reform of resettlement.
