London. With the planned tightening of asylum laws, the conservative British government wants to keep almost all migrants who arrive illegally in accommodation such as military bases or student dormitories. After that, people must be expelled to Rwanda or other countries. The right to seek asylum must be taken away from them. “Boats bringing tens of thousands to our shores will be stopped,” said Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who introduced the new law in the London House of Commons on Tuesday.
“Enough is enough,” wrote Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a guest post for the Sun tabloid. “This law will send a clear signal that anyone entering this country illegally will be turned away.” There are actually very few legal routes into the UK for people arriving in the UK on inflatable boats.
According to The Times, the government should wait for the plan to end up in court, the newspaper said, citing government sources. “We have pushed the limits of international law to resolve this crisis,” Home Secretary Braverman told the Telegraph.
Court suspended deportation flights to Rwanda
Britain has already signed a controversial pact with Rwanda and paid the country £140m (currently €158m) for it. Migrants must apply for asylum in the African country and – if granted – be able to live there. A return to Britain is not planned. Since the European Court of Human Rights intervened last June, there have still been no deportation flights from Britain to Rwanda.
Then and now, there has been sharp criticism from the opposition and human rights activists: Britain has betrayed its obligation under the UN Refugee Convention to give people a fair hearing regardless of their route of arrival, has criticized the British Council on Refugees. Labor leader Keir Starmer questioned whether the plans were legal. He called for respect for international obligations. Amnesty International UK also criticized the UK for abstaining from responsibility.
The heir to the throne at the time, Prince Charles, now King Charles III, reportedly expressed his horror at the planned deportation flights last year. The European Court of Human Rights is part of the Council of Europe. The EU’s independent bodies work together to protect human rights in the 46 member states.