Summary:
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If passed, the proposed measure would forbid persons who enter the UK illegally, such as those who risk their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats, from requesting refugee protection.
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Instead of having their specific situations considered, these asylum applicants would face imprisonment and deportation.
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The UNHCR stated, “This would constitute a clear violation of the Refugee Convention and undercut a strong, humanitarian heritage of which the British people are proud.
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A rise of 60%Around 45,000 persons crossed the Channel on small boats in 2022, up 60% from the year before, according to UK Government statistics.
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The UK measure presented to the House of Commons on Tuesday caused “deep anxiety,” according to Gillian Triggs, the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.
If passed, the proposed measure would forbid persons who enter the UK illegally, such as those who risk their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats, from requesting refugee protection.
Instead of having their specific situations considered, these asylum applicants would face imprisonment and deportation.
The UNHCR stated, “This would constitute a clear violation of the Refugee Convention and undercut a strong, humanitarian heritage of which the British people are proud.
The 1951 Refugee Convention, which acknowledges that refugees may have to enter a nation of asylum illegally, was signed by the UK, one of its initial signatories.
A rise of 60%
Around 45,000 persons crossed the Channel on small boats in 2022, up 60% from the year before, according to UK Government statistics.
The UK measure presented to the House of Commons on Tuesday caused “deep anxiety,” according to Gillian Triggs, the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.
The UNHCR emphasised that the UK is not a party to any agreement permitting authorities to delegate care for refugees to secure third countries.
The UN agency also recalled that the 2022 announcement of the UK’s bilateral agreement with Rwanda did not adhere to the required international norms.
The UK-Rwanda agreement was deemed “completely incorrect” by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in June last year.
The UNHCR stated that it would continue to assist the UK in improving its asylum system and urged the government and lawmakers to “pursue more humane and viable policy options” instead of passing the bill.
