UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak came out to say that the UK government will be releasing new tough laws to curb illegal immigration. Illegal immigration concerns come from immigrants using the UK sea border to come to the UK illegally on small boats.
The UK government is planning to introduce the legislation next week in parliament. Sunak further added that curbing illegal immigration in the country is one of the five main priorities of his government and that illegal immigration is not fair to UK taxpayers and immigrants who have worked hard to immigrate to the country legally.
The new legislation to ban illegal immigrants from entering the UK permanently
The new immigration laws will mainly focus on illegal immigrants who travel across Europe to the UK through the English Channel route on small boats, specifically from France to the UK. According to reports, the number of people who crossed the English Channel in 2022 rose to 45,000.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently told the Sunday Express Newspaper, “Make no mistake, if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay.”
The UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, also reinforced the prime minister’s agenda. She said that the UK people are exhausted and want to see an end to this issue. The new laws will be simple enough for people to understand and practice. Braverman insisted that, according to the new laws, if you come to the country illegally, you will be detained and immediately removed and that the only route to the country will be a “safe and legal” route.
Rishi Sunak also warned that in the event someone is found to be an illegal immigrant and has been detained, the individual will not be allowed to apply for asylum. According to the existing laws, an illegal immigrant who has already crossed the UK border has the right to claim asylum while their case is being entertained.
According to the new legislation laws, an illegal immigrant will be removed to a third country and will be banned from entering the UK permanently.
The polarizing opinions on the new legislation
The new legislation which will be proposed in the parliament next week saw polarizing opinions on Twitter. Some applauded the legislation, stating that the country needs border security, while others called the laws immoral and inhumane against refugees.
Jeremy Corbyn, a Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom, tweeted that the latest asylum ban was “immoral, inhumane and in breach of international law.” He criticized Rishi Sunak for injustice against refugees and added that claiming asylum is a human right that should not be taken away.
The Guardian released a news article against the new legislation proposed by the Sunak-led government. The article calls out Rishi Sunak as someone who is just trying to grab attention instead of working towards better laws for his country. The Guardian article also added that the new legislation is not a step towards curbing illegal immigration, but rather it is a step towards locking up people who are fleeing from war.
On the other hand, Matt Vickers, a Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom, came out in support of the new legislation. He tweeted that many UK residents, including himself, see border control as a priority and want the new laws to end Channel crossings once and for all.
