Starmer Retains Tough Stance on Asylum Amid Rising Channel Crossings

British PM Keir Starmer's government continues the ban on asylum seekers using modern slavery laws for protection. Despite previous criticisms, his administration faces pressure to address increasing arrivals via small boats. The new bill empowers police to track smugglers and modifies existing asylum laws.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 30-01-2025 18:36 IST | Created: 30-01-2025 18:36 IST
Starmer Retains Tough Stance on Asylum Amid Rising Channel Crossings
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In a significant policy decision, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government will uphold a prohibition preventing asylum seekers from invoking modern slavery and other human rights laws for protection. This move comes despite previous critiques of such measures by current ministers, as Starmer grapples with a surge in migrants reaching the UK by small boats—an issue paramount to British voters.

The newly introduced Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill aims to empower police with capabilities to confiscate asylum seekers' mobile phones to pursue people smugglers, further targeting suppliers of parts for the boats used. Despite previously opposing parts of the legislation as a member of the opposition, Starmer's Labour Party plans to keep aspects that disqualify asylum seekers using modern slavery laws while authorizing the detention of child asylum seekers for up to 28 days.

Amid immigration's growing prominence, second only to economic concerns among voters, government data reveals an escalating trend in migration via small boats, marking 2024 as a notable year for such arrivals. Starmer's administration is thus under pressure to effectively address the ongoing challenge of migration—a central issue since the Brexit referendum.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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