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Proposed UK asylum bill would be in ‘clear breach’ of international law, UNHCR says
The United Kingdom’s Asylum Bill would be in “clear breach” of international law, the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR said on Tuesday.
The proposed bill would effectively introduce an “asylum ban” by denying refugees the right to seek protection if they arrive in the UK irregularly. Instead, asylum-seekers would face detention and deportation without having their individual circumstances examined.
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According to UK Government data, the number of people crossing the Channel on small boats increased by 60 percent in 2022, with approximately 45,000 people making the dangerous journey.
UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs, expressed her concern on Twitter, stating that the bill introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday was “profoundly concerning.”
The UK is one of the original signatories of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which recognizes that refugees may have to enter a country of asylum irregularly.
UNHCR noted that the proposed bill would undermine the UK’s humanitarian tradition and violate international law.
The UN agency also recalled that the UK’s bilateral agreement with Rwanda failed to meet necessary international standards.
The UNHCR called on the UK government to reconsider the bill and pursue more humane and practical policy solutions.
The agency emphasized its continued support for the UK in strengthening its asylum system.
The proposed bill has raised concerns among campaigners and politicians, with some calling for a more compassionate approach to addressing the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers.
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