The Council of Europe has called on the British Parliament not to adopt the new law, which should reduce the flow of illegal immigrants, and stated that it is against fundamental rights, writes Reuters.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made the fight against illegal migrants crossing the Lamache in small boats one of his priorities. It is believed that this is Sunak’s attempt to show a tough stance that would allow him to curry favor with voters ahead of next year’s elections.
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović has sent a letter to both houses of the British Parliament before the debate on the law. It says: «Passing the bill would add to the already significant regression in the protection of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the UK in the last few years.»
The government has stated that the law is necessary to limit the movement of migrants in boats,
which mostly come from France, and to break the chain of human trafficking that threatens them. Some lawmakers from Sunak’s Conservative Party want to go further, calling for Britain to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in order to introduce even tighter controls.
Other conservatives and the opposition, in turn, are calling for so-called «safe roads». Sunak has promised them, but only when the flow of migrants decreases. The Prime Minister indicated that Great Britain could introduce a new law without violating the ECHR and other international regulations. He added that Great Britain follows the law.
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