LONDON: The British government on Monday announced new measures to speed up deportations of foreign criminals and crack down on those seeking protection under UK law as alleged "modern slavery" victims.
It used the example of a convicted rapist who successfully appealed a Home Office (Ministry of the Interior) decision to deport him from the United Kingdom, claiming to be a victim of criminal gangs involved in human trafficking.
According to the Home Office she committed a second rape while the appeal was pending and is still in the country. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a statement that it is "wholly unfair" that real victims of modern slavery may have to wait longer to receive the protection they need as a result of systemic abuse.
Also Read: Boris Johnson: Putin made a missile attack threat against me saying he would kill me
"The new rules will give us the power to deny you protection and expel you from our country if you have committed a crime," he said.
A new Nationality and Limitation Act provision allows Home Office caseworkers to request evidence of modern slavery in future, instead of relying solely on victim testimony. Evidence from a volunteer or police officer assisting in the victim's defense may fall into this category.
However, rights organizations have criticized the changes for undermining the protection of actual victims. One of Braverman's plans to send cross-Channel migrants to Rwanda for permanent resettlement has already been thwarted by the legal system.
Also Read: Calls for a shift in US police culture are renewed by the Tyre Nichols case
The National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which is being reformed under the new Act, is being manipulated, according to a November report by Britain's National Crime Agency.
The NRM was created in 2009 to help protect victims of human trafficking and is used to locate and refer them to UK government organizations so they can get the help they need.
Albanian migrants have been instructed to claim they are victims of modern-day slavery and apply to the NRM if they are found working in cannabis farms or other illegal businesses, crime agency reports .
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new deal with Albania in December to stem the flow of migrants from the country traveling to mainland Europe on small boats and crossing the English Channel.
The settlement came only after Braverman used incendiary language and the Tirana government apologized for an anti-migrant "campaign" in the UK media.
To the delight of Conservative right-wingers keen to demonstrate that post-Brexit Britain can control its borders, the minister has maintained a hard line, and the clampdown is one of Sunak's five priorities for this year Is.
Also Read: Ukraine requests quicker weapon deliveries as Russia intensifies its eastern offensive
"We must prevent people from abusing our immigration and asylum laws," Braverman said in a statement released Monday. And I have personally made up my mind to punish anyone who betrays my country and takes advantage of the generosity of the British people.