London wants to restrict the right to apply for asylum even more

The conservative British government wants to make it even more difficult for refugees to apply for asylum in the UK. Appropriate amendments to the law are to be tabled in Parliament in the coming week, as reported by the British news agency PA and the BBC on Sunday, among others.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in an interview with the "Mail on Sunday" towards arriving migrants: "Have no illusions, if you come here illegally you will not be able to stay."

The government therefore wants to restrict the right to apply for asylum for people who come across the English Channel on inflatable boats, for example, and instead be able to deport them directly to East African Rwanda or other countries. In fact, with few exceptions, there are very few legal ways for people fleeing the UK to enter the country.

The British government has already been sharply criticized for its previous plans for Rwanda, including by the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Migrants should be able to apply for asylum in Rwanda and – if granted – live there. A return to Great Britain is not planned. Since the European Court of Human Rights intervened, there have not yet been any deportation flights from Great Britain to Rwanda.

The increasing number of people who come to Great Britain via the English Channel and enter the UK irregularly has long been a thorn in the side of the government in London. Restricting immigration and maintaining control of one's own borders was one of the core promises of Brexit.

A British court had confirmed the Conservative government's plan for dealing with asylum seekers in principle. The High Court in London ruled that sending migrants who entered Britain illegally to East African Rwanda and having them apply for asylum there is in line with the Refugee Convention.