The United Nations has expressed concern that controversial British legislation that is allegedly intended to deter thousands of refugees from reaching the country’s shores will have serious negative effects on those who require international protection.
According to PressTV source, The “Illegal Migration Bill” proposed by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was approved by the parliament on Tuesday and is now awaiting King Charles III’s formal “royal assent” before becoming law.
The proposed law would prohibit all arrivals via the English Channel and other “illegal” routes from requesting asylum, and would instead deport them to their country of origin or a third country like Rwanda.
Volker Turk, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees and human rights, denounced the bill’s passage as a “breach of international law” and cautioned that it would put refugees in “grave danger.”
The legislation, according to him, “is at odds with the nation’s responsibilities under international human rights and refugee law and will have significant repercussions for individuals in need of international protection.”
Additionally, Turk noted that the bill “set a worrying precedent for dismantling asylum-related obligations” that other nations, including those in Europe, may be tempted to imitate.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, also denounced the legislation’s passage as a “breach of international law.”
According to Grandi, “This new legislation severely weakens the legal framework that has shielded so many.”
In 2022, small boats carrying more than 45,000 refugees landed on the southeast English coast.
The Rwanda plan, according to Prime Minister Sunak, who has vowed to “stop the boats,” would have a significant deterrent effect by demonstrating that no one who enters the UK illegally will be allowed to stay.
At the earliest, deportation flights to Rwanda won’t begin, and even then, their legality will depend on the Supreme Court’s decision later this year.
Additionally, the plan has come under fire from opposition politicians, attorneys, and civil rights organizations for being cruel, inhumane, and ineffective.
In a tweet, the Scottish Refugee Council, a charity that helps refugees in the UK, said it was “devastating to know the UK’s illegal migration bill is now set to become law.”
It is not representative of who we are or the kind of society we aspire to.”
This morning, those who are directly impacted are on our minds first.
The council urged people to stand with us in support of those looking for security and justice.
The Refugee Council, a prominent organization that assists refugees and those seeking asylum in the UK, called the bill “terrible.”
The council called the day “a dark day for the UK’s reputation as a protector of human rights and a grave moment for those seeking safety in an uncertain world” in a tweet on Tuesday. But the struggle for a just and compassionate asylum system continues.”
