The United Kingdom Government’s draft migrant law is expected to have the effect of creating a de facto “asylum ban,” according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
In a statement, UNHCR stated that, if passed, the proposed measure will prevent persons who enter the UK illegally, such as those who risk their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats, from requesting refugee protection.
Instead of having their specific situations considered, these asylum applicants would face imprisonment and deportation.
The UNHCR stated, “This would constitute a clear violation of the Refugee Convention and would undercut a strong, humanitarian heritage of which the British people are justly proud.
The 1951 Refugee Convention, which acknowledges that refugees may have to enter a nation of asylum illegally, was signed by the UK, one of its initial signatories.
Around 45,000 persons crossed the Channel on small boats in 2022, up 60% from the year before, according to UK Government statistics.