New legislation aimed at removing all migrants who illegally cross the English Channel is being proposed by the UK Government.
Under the new Illegal Migration Bill, anyone found to have entered the country illegally will be removed from the UK within 28 days and blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.
Those who arrive in small boats would either be returned to their home country, or another “safe third country” such as Rwanda.
Unveiling the ‘Stop the Boats’ plans to MPs earlier, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the law places a legal duty on the government to detain and deport nearly all those who arrive “irregularly”, such as via small boats in the Channel and that the proposals will “stop people jumping the queue” to live in the UK.
She also said there would be constraints on the rights of asylum seekers to use a judicial review to challenge decisions, and that the UK was planning to increase its capacity to detain people, but stressed the new law would deter people from making the crossing in the first place.
The United Nations refugee agency has described the moves as “very concerning” and would block even those with a compelling claim.
Braverman was forced to admit that the illegal migration bill was “more than 50%” likely to break human rights laws.
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
