UN: London's plan to Stop Illegal Migrants violates International Law

The UK government's proposed asylum law is "very worrying", the UN refugee agency has warned.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in the United Kingdom, Vicky Tennant, commented to the BBC that the measure would violate international law and was not necessary to stop Channel crossings.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was "ready for the fight" to introduce the law and to overcome all legal challenges.

"Labor" said the plans risked increasing chaos.

On Tuesday, the government outlined a new law that would effectively ban anyone arriving in the UK illegally from claiming asylum.

In addition, anyone found to have entered the country illegally will not be able to return or apply for British citizenship in the future. The measure is part of attempts to deal with the increasing number of people arriving in the UK across the Channel each year. It grew from about 300 people in 2018 to more than 45,000 in 2022.

Asked for comment, Tennant said: "We are very concerned. This effectively closes access to asylum in the UK for people arriving irregularly." "We believe this is a clear violation of the Refugee Convention and remember that even people with very compelling claims will simply not have the opportunity to present them."

The 1951 Refugee Convention is a multilateral treaty that defines who qualifies as a refugee and the obligations of signatory states to protect those people.

Tennant pointed out that the UK has a "long-standing humanitarian tradition" and that migration problems can be solved with proper controls and a better-administered system.

"Make the asylum system work," she said. "Ensure fair, efficient and faster...