This content was published on Mar 26, 2023 – 12:38 PM
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(SDA Keystone)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) criticized the planned British asylum law as a violation of international law. “It is inconsistent with the UK’s obligations under the International Refugee Convention,” UNHCR Representative to the UK Vicki Tennant told Sky News on Sunday. “We are very concerned that this will set a global precedent and (…) effectively erase the right to seek asylum in the UK for virtually all refugees.” Tennant stressed that the focus should be on the asylum system so that applications can be processed quickly.
Parliament in London will once again debate the controversial asylum law on Monday. It stipulates that all persons entering the UK unwelcome, regardless of their background, will be detained for up to a month. They are then deported back to their home country or – if that would be too dangerous – to Rwanda or another country. They should be denied the right to seek asylum.
The Conservative British government is concerned about the growing number of unwanted people crossing the English Channel into the country. She had declared that she would “take back control of her borders” after Brexit and is therefore now under pressure from the right wing of the Conservative Party. Due to Brexit, Great Britain no longer has any readmission agreements with EU countries. Critics accuse the government of exaggerating the problem to appease conservative voters. Far fewer asylum applications are submitted in Great Britain than, for example, in Germany.
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