LONDON: British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has proposed a wider ban on people seeking asylum from countries the UK has identified as "safe" places to stay.
She is reportedly drafting legislation that would make it easier to automatically reject and expel asylum seekers from such countries, even if their claims are "unfounded", in an effort to figure out how the UK What the government refers to as the "migrant crisis".
According to experts, the main aim of the crackdown is to target Albanian migrants. According to The Times, more than 12,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year, which is about 25% of all such crossings.
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The report further states that under the new law, nations will be given "safe" status according to the already existing criteria for the Home Office "whitelist". Given that Ukraine is currently on the list and Braverman will have the authority to add or remove other countries, the list needs to be updated, the newspaper claimed.
Observers believe that the "white list" is a means by which the British government can target Albanian immigrants without breaking any laws by singling out a particular nation.
The second list, known as the "Partial Designation", will be used by the UK authorities and will include countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali and Sierra Leone that have been designated "for men". Considered "safe" but not for women or children.
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The proposals have been condemned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who also issued a warning that they would violate Britain's international obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention.
There is no such thing as an "illegal asylum seeker", and everyone has the right to escape persecution in their own country. said Vicky Tennant, a representative of the UNHCR in the UK.
"The indefinite detention of asylum seekers, based solely on their mode of arrival, would punish those in need of aid and protection and would be a clear breach of the United Kingdom's obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention," the statement said.
A Home Office source informed The Times that "the list dates back to 2002 and (a) was introduced by Labour, despite being on the list, the UK still accepts asylum seekers from these countries based on their unique circumstances". accepts on the basis of
