The United Kingdom is about to introduce a new law to crack down on migrants arriving in the country in tiny boats from Europe across the English Channel. According to rumors, the bill will be announced on Tuesday. Interior Minister Suella Braverman told the Sun on Sunday newspaper that “enough is enough.” For months, the British government has promised to speed up efforts to address the issue of illegal migrants. Particularly when the number of persons undertaking the risky voyage over the English Channel increased to almost 45,000 last year.
“Enough is enough. The British people want this solved,” said the Home Secretary adding, “they are sick of tough talk and inadequate action. We must stop the boats.”
The number of migrants arriving on the English shore has more than doubled in the last two years. Addressing the migration issue was one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s five primary goals in January. According to Reuters, Sunak’s party is struggling in surveys, and the PM is under pressure from his party’s lawmakers to find a suitable solution.
According to the Sun on Sunday, the proposed new legislation will render all asylum requests made by people entering the country on tiny boats inadmissible. They will be relocated to a “safe third nation” as quickly as possible.
Former PM Boris Johnson agreed to transfer tens of thousands of migrants to Rwanda
Last year, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to transfer tens of thousands of migrants to Rwanda, a country that has been condemned for having “a dismal human rights record” by the British High Commissioner to Rwanda. Several European countries share this stance, with six expressing their alarm in an open letter on Human Rights Day in 2015.
According to Reuters, the first flight under the agreement was scheduled for June of last year, but it was canceled due to a last-minute injunction by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). A judicial assessment at the London High Court also called the strategy’s legality into question. Human rights organizations and, according to reports, King Charles have all condemned the policy.
The High Court later found it lawful in December, although opponents are seeking to appeal that decision. The legal struggle is expected to end up in the UK Supreme Court, which might cause the case to be delayed for months.