The British Parliament on Tuesday passed a controversial law against illegal immigration, which drastically restricts the right to asylum, to the point of being, criticizes the UN, in contradiction with international law on refugees.
This political victory for Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak comes at a time when another disputed measure will come into force with the establishment on the English coast of a barge to house migrants, denounced as a "prison boat".
But the government has made the fight against illegal immigration a priority and has promised to "stop" the arrivals by the English Channel of migrants on board small boats, which have increased sharply in recent years despite the promises of the Brexit era.
Under the new law, migrants who have arrived in Britain illegally will no longer be able to seek asylum in the country. The government also wants migrants, after being detained, to be quickly deported, either to their country of origin or to a third country such as Rwanda, wherever they come from.
Highly criticized even in the majority, the bill remained blocked for weeks in Parliament, the House of Lords having demanded numerous amendments, in particular limits on the detention of children and protections against modern slavery.
The text was finally adopted overnight from Monday to Tuesday and must now simply be promulgated by King Charles III, a formality.
The UN has strongly condemned the law, saying it "contradicts" the UK's obligations under international human rights and refugee law.
Migrants will have "no guarantee of being able to benefit from protection in the country" where they will be expelled, denounces the UN.
In 2022, more than 45,000 migrants crossed the Channel, especially from France, on board small boats, a record. They are more than 13,000 to have made the crossing since the beginning of the year. In the first quarter, it was mainly Afghans.
The government accuses migrants coming illegally of "skipping the queue" to the detriment of those arriving through "safe" or legal channels.
But "most people fleeing war or persecution do not have access to documents such as passports or visas," says the UN.
For the British NGO Refugee Council, "it's a dark day" for the reputation of the United Kingdom.
“A government is in trouble and is trying the old method of (…) blaming migrants for its own failings,” said Michael Rosen, a refugee rights activist who was demonstrating with dozens of others outside the city hall on Tuesday. Parliament.
London also made an agreement last year with Rwanda to send illegal migrants there, but no deportation has yet taken place.
A first flight scheduled for June 2022 had been canceled after a decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
At the end of June, the courts declared this project illegal, but the government immediately announced an appeal.
"I don't see how" the law will make it possible to stop migrant boats, criticized the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. "I haven't heard anything that convinced me."
To strengthen its fight against illegal immigration, London also signed an agreement in March with Paris providing British funding to support France's efforts to prevent departures to England.
In addition, around 500 asylum seekers will be accommodated on a barge docked in an English port, in order to reduce the cost of hotel accommodation.
The barge, named "Bibby Stockholm", arrived in the port of Portland in southern England on Tuesday morning. The project has been strongly criticized by NGOs, who call the barge a "prison boat".
"About 50 asylum seekers" will be sent there next week, according to the Interior Ministry. "The site is designed to be self-sufficient in order to minimize the impact on the local community," he added as residents protested against the project on Monday.
07/18/2023 18:47:56 - London (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
