Great Britain is taking stricter measures against illegal migration. Lawyers who help with asylum fraud could face life imprisonment on the train – at least that’s what the government is threatening.
The British government wants to crack down on lawyers who help migrants falsify asylum applications. Lawyers who advise migrants on fraudulently staying in the country could be sentenced to life in prison for aiding illegal immigration, one said Notice from the Ministry of the Interior.
“Fraudulent immigration lawyers must be rooted out and brought to justice,” the dpa news agency quoted Interior Minister Suella Braverman as saying. The vast majority act with integrity. “But we know that some lie to help illegal immigrants trick the system,” said the conservative hardliner.
Critics speak of populist activism
The Daily Mail newspaper previously reported that several lawyers had helped an undercover reporter file a false asylum claim for thousands of pounds.
Critics accused the government of populist activism. The industry association Law Society emphasized that the necessary laws are already in force. The government should address the “significant” backlog of asylum applications rather than “a tiny minority of lawyers.”
Ship “Bibby Stockholm” as refugee shelter
The government is also tightening the tone when it comes to accommodating migrants on a barge off the coast of southern England. After around 20 men had defended themselves against the move to the three-story residential ship “Bibby Stockholm” with the help of a lawyer, the Interior Ministry issued an ultimatum to them to move, as the broadcaster Sky News reported. Otherwise, government support could be withdrawn.
The first 15 asylum seekers arrived on the “Bibby Stockholm” on Monday. A total of 500 men between the ages of 18 and 65 are to be accommodated temporarily on board. That’s about 1 percent of the 50,000 migrants staying in hotels on tax bills.
Rishi Sunak’s government intends to deploy other similar barges. The aim is to reduce costs in this way, said State Secretary Sarah Dines. People arriving in the UK without a permit should be provided with basic but adequate accommodation. You couldn’t expect to stay in a four star hotel. Critics accuse the government of relying on deterrence and wanting to send a signal to the population that nobody is taking advantage of the system.
The British government has started housing asylum seekers on the three-decker barge Bibby Stockholm offshore. The first men arrived at the port in the southern English city of Portland.
Set of measures against illegal migration
The “Illegal Migration Act” recently passed by Parliament provides for the deportation of almost all refugees who have entered the country illegally. Those affected are to be taken into custody without judicial review and then flown out – either to their home country or to a third country such as Rwanda, with which Great Britain has an appropriate agreement.
The number of people arriving irregularly rose to 45,000 last year, although conservative forces had announced that Brexit would reduce migration. However, since then there has been no readmission agreement with the EU.