More than 45,000 migrants crossed the English Channel illegally from France to Great Britain in 2022. For this reason, the British government will tighten the rules.
Citing figures from the UK's Home Office, the British news agency PA reported that the number of people who crossed the English Channel by boat and dinghy in 2022 was almost 46,000 people. This figure means about 17,000 people more than a year ago and constitutes an all-time high.
The Conservative government in London is trying to curb illegal immigrants with a tough deportation policy. The British government wants people who have entered the UK illegally to be flown to Rwanda, regardless of their nationality or origin, and given the opportunity to apply for asylum there. However, even if they are granted refugee status there, there will be no possibility for them to return to Great Britain in any way or under any circumstances.
UN: London is violating its international obligations
The High Court of London recently declared this eviction procedure to be legal in principle. However, so far there have been no flights of deported migrants to Rwanda. The first attempt failed in the summer due to resistance from the European Court of Human Rights.
Even the UN refugee organization UNHCR accuses London of violating its international obligations. However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced shortly before Christmas that in 2023 he will further tighten the legislation on asylum. This tightening aims to block the possibility of a successful asylum procedure for people who enter the UK illegally and bypass the border authorities./DW