Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
During debates on the UK’s Illegal Immigration Act – which became law last July and bans anyone illegally entering the UK from claiming asylum – the government committed to publishing a review of existing legal routes into the country for asylum-seekers and to “specify additional safe and legal routes”. The report was presented to Parliament yesterday and failed to deliver on the promise. There are currently no safe and legal routes to travel to the UK for asylum seekers, given that no visas are available for asylum and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 requires individuals to be physically present in the country in order to claim it. The report only outlines a series of existing bespoke humanitarian schemes for people seeking protection (including those set up for Ukraine and Afghanistan), and proposes an annual cap on refugee arrivals to be applied next year subject to Parliamentary approval. The government will not only fail to fulfil its pledge to “stop the boats” if it doesn’t provide safe and legal routes; it will also further undermine refugees’ right to seek protection under the Refugee Convention, of which the UK is a signatory.