Refugees making harmful Channel journeys as Tories fail to supply protected routes

Ministers have been blasted over “woefully inadequate” efforts to cease the boats after failing to ship extra protected routes as they promised.

Campaigners accused the Government of overlooking the “urgent need” for authorized methods individuals fleeing warfare or persecution can attain the UK. They say that if Rishi Sunak is critical about stopping harmful Channel crossings, he should present alternative routes of making use of for asylum. Critics argue refugees from most components of the world haven’t any protected approach of reaching Britain – that means extra make the damaging journey.

Although the Government has pledged to announce new protected and authorized routes, a report launched at this time didn’t announce any. A brand new Home Office doc mentioned plans for a cap on the variety of asylum seekers can be put earlier than MPs by the summer time – after which new routes can be put ahead.

Refugee Council chief government Enver Solomon mentioned: “The Government’s plans are woefully inadequate with no meaningful commitment to expand safe routes for refugees from war-torn countries such as Sudan and Syria, and those fleeing repressive regimes in countries such as Iran.

“By merely specializing in describing the prevailing restricted schemes, the Government has utterly missed the pressing want to cut back harmful Channel crossings by offering protected passage to our shores.”

He said that if ministers are “critical” in their “cease the boats” pledge, they need to “considerably” increase safe routes, rather than pushing ahead with the “illegal, pricey and ineffective Rwanda plan”.

And Olivia Field, director of policy and advocacy for the British Red Cross, said safe routes were “important if we really wish to cease individuals having to take harmful journeys to the UK”. She said these aren’t open to the “overwhelming majority” of men, women and children seeking sanctuary.

Asked why no new safe and legal routes had been announced in the report, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters the UK had “vital numbers of present routes already” but this would be kept “underneath overview”. The latest update was released as a requirement of the controversial Illegal Migration Act, which bars people who arrive illegally from claiming asylum.

In a written statement to Parliament, Home Secretary James Cleverly said the UK had a “proud historical past of offering safety for essentially the most susceptible”. He highlighted resettlement schemes for individuals from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine, in addition to routes obtainable to kinfolk of refugees.

He insisted the report “reaffirms the Government’s dedication to offering protected and authorized routes for these most in want” despite no plans for new safe and legal routes being announced. “As we get management on numbers, we’ll preserve underneath overview whether or not we’re capable of do extra to help susceptible refugees and whether or not we have to take into account new protected and authorized routes,” he added.

Between 2015 to September 2023, Home Office figures show 555,630 people were offered safe and legal routes to the UK. Of these 184,700 were Hong Kong British nationals, 21,673 from Afghanistan and 271,389 from Ukraine.

A further 28,780 came via the UN High Commissioner for Refugees resettlement scheme, and 49,088 through family reunion schemes. Sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman previously struggled to explain the legal routes which asylum seekers fleeing war and persecution could use to come to the UK.

When questioned by the Commons Home Affairs Committee in November 2022, she conceded many asylum seekers would have to travel to the UK in order to submit a claim, prompting MPs to warn there was a shortage of legal routes available.