Rishi Sunak to 'ban Channel migrants from appealing against deportation'
4 February 2023, 13:24
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has plans to 'ban Channel migrants from appealing against deportation'.
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The Home Office has drawn up two options to automatically bar those who attempt the Channel crossing, it is understood.
It comes after Mr Sunak pledged to “stop the boats” as one of his five priorities during his premiership.
One of the proposals to achieve his goal is to completely withdraw the right of illegal arrivals to appeal against their exclusion from the asylum system., according to the Times.
The other is to only allow them to lodge an appeal once they have been deported.
Asylum seekers currently have the right to remain in the country to have their cases heard.
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Another proposal suggests preventing illegal migrants using parts of the Human Rights Act - such as claiming their right to liberty is being breached - to avoid deportation.
Mr Sunak is believed to be planning to present draft legislation as soon as this month.
A government source told the paper: “The prime minister and home secretary are working flat out to bring forward the legislation as soon as possible and ensure that it is legally watertight.”
A former Conservative minister said the proposals could set up "a difficult clash" with the judiciary.
“No10 is assuring Tory MPs that they’re not going to be breaching international obligations but this will create difficulty and they will start hitting problems from day one," they said.
"They’ll have the mother of all rows about it and ultimately how the courts interpret the legislation is another matter.”
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A total of 45,756 migrants attempted the Channel crossing in 2022, Government figures showed.
It was a surge of 60 per cent on 2021, with the migrant crisis continuing to worsen.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The unacceptable number of people risking their lives by making these dangerous crossings is placing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system.
"Our priority is to stop this and prevent these illegal crossings, and our new Small Boats Operational Command – bolstered by hundreds of extra staff – is working hard to disrupt the business model of people smugglers.
"We are also going further by introducing legislation which will ensure that those people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and promptly removed either to their home country or a safe third country."
