British prime minster defends controversial migration bill: Government 'tried every other way'

LONDON

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended a controversial migration bill Tuesday, saying the government has "tried it every other way and it has not worked."

"If we do not deal with it now, the situation will just get worse and worse," he told reporters, adding that he understands that there will be a debate about the toughness of the measures.

The UK introduced an illegal migration bill that would allow for the detention and swift removal of anyone who enters the UK illegally.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman gave a statement to parliament regarding the controversial legislation regarding small boats crossing the English Channel and said "deterrence" is the key theme running through the new measures.

The bill would allow the detention of people for up to 28 days without bail or judicial review and it will be the duty of the Home Secretary to remove illegal entrants.

Sunak said the number of people entering the UK illegally in small boats has more than quadrupled in the last two years, noting that criminal gangs can continue to bring small boats to the country because they know the system can be exploited.

"People must know that if they come here illegally, it will result in their detention and swift removal. Once this happens, and they know it will happen, they will not come and the boats will stop," he said.

Pointing out that the country will take back control of its borders, Sunak said: "We will detain those who come here illegally and then remove them in weeks, either to their own country if it is safe to do so. Or to a safe third country like Rwanda and once you are removed, you will be banned as you are in America and Australia from ever reentering our country. This is how we will break the business model of the people smugglers."

He claimed that a drop in the number of small arrivals from Albania proved the problem can be solved.

"That is why I've already secured the largest-ever small boats deal with France and patrols on French beaches are already up 40%. I also promised progress on enforcement and we've increased the rate of illegals working by 50%. I've also negotiated a new deal with Albania, which accounted for a third of all small boat arrivals. And that's already delivering. We've returned 500 illegal migrants to Albania and we are seeing far fewer come as a result this shows that there is nothing inevitable about illegal migration."

Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) voiced concern about the matter, saying "if it was passed, the UK asylum legislation would amount to an asylum ban."

"UNHCR is profoundly concerned by the asylum bill introduced by the UK Government to the House of Commons today," the agency said in a statement. "In its current form, the Bill compels the Home Secretary to deny access to the UK asylum system to those who arrive irregularly."