Rabat – The Home Office began the first reading of the New Immigration Plan on Tuesday, July 6. The new plan, a major overhaul of the UK asylum system, will make it possible to move asylum seekers offshore while their appeals are pending.
Already subject to controversy, the Nationality and Borders Bill aims to deter the illegal entry of people using rickety boats, primarily after passing through a safe country where they could have claimed asylum.
The new bill would also impose life sentences as the maximum penalty for human traffickers in order to reduce their exploits in organizing perilous routes underground.
“Next week we’ll introduce the Borders Bill to go after these gangs exploiting people & deter illegal entry with tougher criminal offenses for those attempting to enter the UK illegally. Part of our firm but fair #NewPlanForImmigration”, claimed in a tweet home secretary Priti Patel, a fervent Eurosceptic from the conservative party.
During the transition period following Brexit, the British government abolished the free movement of EU citizens and introduced the point-based immigration system.
In response to the migration crisis, the UK has taken many measures to stem the tide. As of 2020, approximately 8000 migrants and refugees have entered the UK, as opposed to 1800 in 2019. Nevertheless, it is still a manageable situation when compared to its European neighbors. Approximately 33,000 people arrived in Italy and nearly 40,000 in Spain in 2020.
Despite the ongoing debate on migration, Europe is undergoing a comprehensive reshuffle. Denmark passed a law on June 3 allowing asylum applications to be processed outside the European Union. According to reports, the UK is tightening its immigration policy even more.
As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the 1951 UN refugee convention, Together with Refugees, an alliance of over 200 national and local organizations, is denouncing the new plan as a threat to the convention, as the UK is bound by its mandate to protect refugees.
