The Legal Walls

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The British government on Wednesday defended a new bill aimed at stopping asylum seekers from illegally entering the country. against fierce criticism from human rights campaigners and the United Nations’ refugee agency that it violates both British and international law, Politico reported Wednesday.

“We are confident that we are complying with the law, domestic and international,” Home Secretary Suella Braverman said, referring to the Illegal Migration bill, which she unveiled to Parliament on Tuesday. “But we are also pushing the boundaries and we are testing innovative and novel legal arguments.”

The bill will make it easier for British authorities to detain and deport individuals entering the United Kingdom through irregular means.

However, there are lingering legal questions, including whether the bill is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Braverman said Tuesday that she was “unable to make a statement” that the draft law’s provisions are “compatible with the Convention rights.”

She later said Wednesday that she made that statement “out of an abundance of caution,” but noted that the government is still confident the bill is legal.

Even so, UN officials cautioned that the proposed law essentially meant an asylum ban.

The UK is currently facing increasing numbers of people trying to make the dangerous crossing from France and elsewhere: More than 45,700 people used “small boats” to cross the English Channel last year, a record.

Amid a migration crisis and criticism within the ruling Conservative Party, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to make “stopping the boats” one of the government’s main priorities.

To address this, ministers have already signed an agreement to transport asylum seekers to Rwanda as a safe third country. However, none has been moved so far due to legal challenges.

As a result of the legal battle, some Conservative lawmakers are calling for the UK to withdraw from the ECHR entirely.