The UK government has announced a new plan to stop illegal immigration and deter migrants from crossing the Channel.
However, several obstacles stand in the way of the success of this plan.
The government aims to detain and remove all Channel migrants, but there are only 2,500 beds in the UK’s immigration detention centres.
Plans to create an additional 1,000 places by reopening disused centres are underway.
Still, tens of thousands of Channel arrivals occur each year, and there will need to be a significant expansion of detention capacity to meet this pledge.
Deporting illegal migrants also poses a challenge, as the Home Office faces significant barriers when removing migrants who arrive by “irregular routes.”
Claims under the Government’s modern slavery laws will be barred, and all asylum applications by irregular migrants will be instantly ruled “inadmissible.”
The new Bill places a new “duty to remove” anyone who enters the country illegally on the Home Secretary.
It is expected to streamline the process, providing it can be brought into force.
The new Bill will also face legal challenges. While government lawyers believe the Bill is lawful, pro-migrant groups will likely challenge key elements and claim they breach international refugee conventions.
Even if approved quickly by Parliament, ministers run the risk of the plan being bogged down in the courts for months.
According to the Labour Party and pro-migrant groups, creating “safe and legal routes” for asylum seekers is essential.
However, Home Office experts predict that uncapped legal routes would result in millions of migrants coming to Britain, overwhelming the UK’s housing supply and public services.
Finally, ministers hope that tough talk will deter potential Channel migrants from making a crossing in the first place.
Indefinitely barring illegal migrants from entering Britain again could be particularly effective at deterring migrants from safe countries such as Albania, where small-boat arrivals rocketed to 12,301 last year.
»UK government announces new plan to stop illegal immigration«
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