Members of the House of Lords approved a controversial bill for Rishi Sunak’s government on Tuesday. That means, all that remains are formalities. The bill, which has now been approved by both houses of parliament, will now go to the king’s desk.

The law would bar anyone arriving in the UK by boat from applying for asylum. This agreement also includes efforts to resettle all refugees who come illegally to third countries such as Rwanda to prevent illegal immigration.

Increase in the number of boat refugees

The background to this bill is the increasing number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats every year.

More than 45,000 migrants disembarked from boats in England’s southeastern coastal towns last year. There has been a 60 percent annual increase in dangerous routes used since 2018.

The Rwanda plan was first introduced by Boris Johnson’s government last year but was blocked by the European Court of Human Rights. Sunak’s government said it would appeal a court decision that ruled Rwanda was not a safe third country.

The UN warns Britain

The UN warns of the impact of the UK bill on human rights and the international refugee system.

– For decades, the UK has provided protection to those in need, in line with its international obligations. This is a tradition of which they should be proud, said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in a statement. pers conference.

– This new law significantly weakens the legal framework that has protected so many people, and exposes refugees to serious risks of violating international law.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that the proposed law would lead to more violations of refugees’ rights.

(© NTB)