UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed Tuesday to crack down harder on illegal immigration and those who take advantage of British «generosity,» questioning whether many of those crossing the English Channel come from potentially dangerous places.
Sunak said that «too many» of those who benefit from British «generosity» are not fleeing war or other conflict zones, but are those who cross the English Channel in small boats, journeys coordinated by «ruthless and organized criminals».
«Many come from fundamentally safe countries,» Sunak has told the House of Commons, from where he has defended that «it is not cruel or unkind to want to break the stranglehold of criminal gangs who trade in human misery» and exploit the British system and laws.
Among those «safe» countries he referred to is Albania, where «a third» of these people come from. For this reason, he announced a new agreement with the Albanian authorities to repatriate them. «In the coming months, thousands of Albanians will be returned to their homes,» he stressed.
«It is unfair for people to come here illegally. It is unfair to those who need asylum. It is unfair to those who come here legally. And, above all, it is unfair to the British who follow the rules,» Sunak emphasized, who questioned, in his opinion, the «obsolete» current system of refugee reception.
The British premier has exposed «fairness» as a fundamental framework to carry out policies that while supporting people «in dire need» also ensure «the responsibility» of having controlled borders.
«No one, no one can doubt our generosity of spirit,» said Sunak, who accused «hostile states» of using immigration as a weapon against Europe’s borders, while warning that as global instability grows, the migratory phenomenon will become more acute.
Sunak used his speech to highlight the measures taken by his government since he took office as Prime Minister some seven weeks ago, outlining the agreements with France to curb this illegal transit through the English Channel, which has seen some 40,000 people cross so far this year.
At the same time, he confirmed that the controversial migration policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda will continue. «We are going to restart the first flights (…) so that those who are here illegally and cannot be returned to their country of origin, can build a new life there,» he explained.
«We must be able to control our borders to ensure that the only people who come here do so by safe and legal routes,» stressed Sunak, who assured that British laws «are being manipulated» by people who take advantage of the courts to thwart their expulsion.
«So early next year we will bring forward new legislation to make it unambiguously clear that anyone who enters the UK illegally will not be allowed to stay here. Instead, they will be detained and swiftly returned to their country of origin or a safe one where their asylum claim will be considered,» he has warned.
Sunak also announced that he will increase the number of staff to deal with human trafficking mafias, while intensifying raids against illegal work and labor exploitation of these migrants.
On the other hand, he has advanced that they will stop the «absurdity» that migrants in irregular situation can open a bank account and the «unfair and appalling» financing of hotels to house those seeking asylum. «We will shortly present alternative sites, such as disused vacation parks, residences for former students and surplus military sites,» he has advanced.
UNHCR CALLS ON UK TO FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS For its part, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned the UK that the measures the Sunak government plans to implement are «a worrying» setback to the country’s humanitarian record.
While UNHCR has welcomed measures aimed at «strengthening dialogue and cooperating more closely» with its European neighbors, such as intensifying returns of those not in need of special protection, some other measures announced by Sunak «go against the basic principles of international solidarity and shared responsibility» of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
«The announced proposal to first detain and then return asylum seekers to their countries of origin or transfer them to a third party is to deny access to the UK asylum system for those arriving irregularly,» said UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs.
«Such an approach would close off access to asylum in the UK for all but a select few. This would likely result in refugees having no means of establishing their status and would place them at risk of forced return to unsafe countries, in violation of the Refugee Convention,» she explained.
UNHCR also reiterated its rejection of the British government’s move to designate Rwanda as a place to send asylum seekers, as it not only «violates international law,» but also shifts its responsibility to a country already struggling to manage the large influx of refugees and migrants resulting from internal conflicts in its neighbors.
