The British government’s radical plans to turn away people seeking protection have caused horror among the opposition and refugee organizations. “The majority of men, women and children who cross the English Channel do so because they are in desperation to flee war, conflict and persecution,” said Enver Solomon of the British Refugee Council, according to the British news agency PA.
Britain is betraying its obligation under the UN Refugee Convention to give people a fair hearing regardless of their route of arrival.
The Conservative government wants to make it even more difficult for refugees to apply for asylum in the UK. Appropriate amendments to the law are to be tabled in Parliament this week. The government therefore wants to restrict the right to apply for asylum for people who come across the English Channel on inflatable boats, for example, and instead be able to deport them directly to East African Rwanda or other countries. In fact, with few exceptions, there are hardly any legal routes into the country for people fleeing to the UK.
Also criticized by Amnesty International UK
Amnesty International UK also criticized the UK for abstaining from responsibility and expecting others to assume it. Opposition leader Keir Starmer from the Labor Party doubted that the plans would be legally valid and called for respect for international obligations.
The British government has already been sharply criticized for its previous plans for Rwanda, including by the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Migrants should apply for asylum in Rwanda and – if granted – be able to live there. A return to Great Britain is not planned. Since the European Court of Human Rights intervened, there have not yet been any deportation flights from Great Britain to Rwanda.
