U.K. to Bar All Asylum Seekers Who Cross Channel on Boats; Britain to Stop Those Arriving Illegally From Staying

U.K. to Bar All Asylum Seekers Who Cross Channel on Boats:

The U.K. government plans to introduce a law on Tuesday that bans asylum seekers who arrive illegally on small boats across the English Channel from applying for British citizenship, the latest attempt by the ruling Conservative Party to fix Britain’s overwhelmed asylum system and bring under control a hot-button issue that has damaged its standings in the polls.

The new law aims to deter and more quickly process tens of thousands of asylum seekers who make the sometimes perilous journey to the U.K. in small boats from France, a government spokesman said Monday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made tackling the issue a pledge ahead of an election expected next year.

The measure would give the government legal power to detain tens of thousands of people arriving via small boats and send them to another country or back to the country from which they came, officials said. Currently, asylum seekers stay in Britain to have their cases heard, which often takes several years.

Across the Americas and Europe, migration has picked up sharply since the end of the pandemic, leading several countries to try to further restrict migrant flows. The Biden administration last month proposed new restrictions on asylum seekers by making migrants who moved through another country on their way to the U.S. without asking for asylum ineligible to stay in the U.S. Britain aims to do something similar.

Even if Britain changes its laws, however, analysts say it won’t be easy to discourage new migrants from crossing or to process and deport them quickly. Many come from war-afflicted countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, meaning Britain would have to find a safe, third country to send the migrants. That could prove difficult, since many European countries are also grappling with flows of asylum seekers. —>READ MORE HERE

Britain to stop those arriving illegally from staying:

Anyone arriving illegally in Britain will be prevented from staying, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in an interview published on Sunday, ahead of new legislation which is expected to be set out next week.

Under pressure from his own lawmakers to find a solution to the flow of migrants arriving in Britain across the channel from Europe, Sunak has made stopping small boats one of his five key priorities.

“Make no mistake, if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay,” Sunak told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

Under current practice, asylum seekers who reach Britain are often able to remain in the country to have their case heard.

A new law to tackle the issue is due to be set out on Tuesday, the newspaper reported, after more than 45,000 people made the perilous crossing last year. Asylum applications to the United Kingdom are below the European Union average, official data shows.

Last year, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed a deal to send tens of thousands of migrants, many having made the journey from Afghanistan, Syria or other countries suffering war, more than 4,000 miles away (6,400 kms) to Rwanda —>READ MORE HERE

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