Britain last year struck a deal with Rwanda to send illegal immigrants to the African country, but no deportations have yet been carried out under the controversial deal.
The British Parliament passed Monday-Tuesday night a controversial bill on immigration that specifically prevents immigrants who arrived in the United Kingdom illegally from seeking asylum in this country.
This text is considered the cornerstone of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s project to combat illegal immigration, which he placed at the top of his priorities.
The prime minister promised to “stop” the arrival of irregular migrants to his country across the English Channel on small boats, which often depart from the nearby French coasts.
On Tuesday, the United Nations condemned the bill, stressing that the clause preventing immigrants who arrived in the United Kingdom illegally from seeking asylum in this country contradicts international law.
The head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a joint statement that the bill “contradicts the country’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law.”
The two main officials of the United Nations on this file warned in their statement that this law “will have serious consequences for people in need of international protection.”
This text, which has sparked widespread criticism within the United Kingdom and by international human rights organizations, stipulates in particular that immigrants who arrived illegally on British soil are prevented from seeking asylum in this country.
After detaining irregular migrants, the government wants to deport them as quickly as possible, either to their countries of origin or to a third country like Rwanda, whichever country they come from.
Britain last year struck a deal with Rwanda to send illegal immigrants to the African country, but no deportations have yet been carried out under the controversial deal.
In 2022, more than 45,000 immigrants arrived on the coast of England on board these boats, in a record number.
Since the beginning of the year, their number has exceeded 13,000.
The first deportation was scheduled for June 2022, but the flight was canceled after a decision by the European Court of Human Rights.
At the end of June, the courts declared this agreement illegal, but the British government immediately announced its intention to appeal this ruling.
In Parliament, the Immigration Bill has been blocked for weeks after the House of Lords pressed several amendments to it.
Among the most notable amendments to the bill were the imposition of restrictions on the detention of children and the protection of victims of modern slavery.
The text must still be ratified by King Charles III for it to become law.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church and also a member of the House of Lords, was one of the most vocal opponents of this law.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said during debates in the House of Lords, “I don’t see how” this text would allow migrant boats to be stopped.
“I haven’t heard anything that convinced me,” he added.
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2023-07-18 10:34:10