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Asylum law ‘puts UK with group of countries that don't want to uphold human rights', ex anti-slavery commissioner says
8 March 2023, 19:16
The UK’s former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dame Sara Thornton has "grave concerns" over the government’s new immigration legislation, claiming it is "incompatible" with human rights laws.
Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr on LBC, Dame Sara said the UK government's new legislation "puts us with a very odd group of countries that don’t want to uphold human rights".
Asked by Andrew her reaction to the government’s announcement on illegal immigration policy yesterday, Dame Sara said the government's rhetoric about modern slavery was "extremely concerning".
"Victims to whom the state has got a responsibility to identify and support. And the tone of those tweets, the tone of the narrative is really concerning," she said.
"What we're talking about is being incredibly tough and harsh on some of the most vulnerable victims that you'll ever come across."
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It comes after Rishi Sunak has pledged to halt Channel boat crossings under new laws aimed at working around the European Convention on Human Rights.
If passed, the government will have the power to ban those who come to the UK on small boats from making future claims.
But commenting on the difficulties of enacting the new legislation, Dame Sara said the law will be subject to legal challenge "because it doesn't appear to be compatible with the UN Convention on Human Rights".
She continued: "So, there are lots of issues, apart from all those practical challenges about how people are going to be detained, for that I'd rather use the word imprisoned, because that's what it is. Where will that happen?
EX-Anti-Slavery Commissioner says she has 'grave concerns' over the govt's Illegal Migration Bill.
"And to where will they be removed? With the exception of Rwanda, and that's before the Court of Appeal, there are no agreements in place.
So, there are huge practical issues. When you look into the legislation, Section 21, basically says that anybody who is going to be removed in line with this legislation, will not have any of the protections as a victim of modern slavery.
"And I can think of at least three articles of the European Convention against trafficking, that that is incompatible with. So, we as a state have a responsibility to identify and support very vulnerable victims of these serious crimes.
"And what we're saying is we want to pass legislation, which would basically drive a coach and horses through those obligations.’
