3 in 4 people who reach UK in small boats would be allowed to stay, data shows
Three quarters of people who reached the UK in small boats this year would be allowed to stay if their applications were actually processed, a new report found.
The Refugee Council has rubbished Suella Braverman's claim that those who make the dangerous journey are not genuinely in need of protection. Analysis shows more than half of those who arrive by small boats are from five countries with a high asylum grant rate - Afghanistan, Iran, Eritrea, Syria and Sudan.
The charity says tens of thousands will be at risk of being left in permanent limbo because of draconian new laws banning those who arrive this way from claiming asylum. And the research, published today found that just 3.5% of people would actually be removed, as the vast majority cannot be returned to their homeland.
Just 660 out of 19,441 people who crossed the Channel this year and declared their nationality could be transferred to their home country. These arrivals all came from Albania, the Refugee Council found.
It comes after the Home Secretary last week brazenly claimed that only a small number of the 50,000 to die in sea crossings around the world in the past nine years were "genuine" refugees. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “The reality is that the men, women and children who come to the UK by taking terrifying journeys across the world’s busiest shipping lane are desperately seeking safety, having fled persecution, terror and oppression.
'I wouldn't have made Channel crossing if I could apply for asylum from abroad'
"They have not just lost their homes and livelihoods, but have faced many atrocities including torture, sexual coercion, slavery and exploitation. Instead of slamming our door in their face and extinguishing the right to asylum, we should be upholding the great British values of fairness and compassion, ensuring they are given a fair hearing on UK soil and welcoming those who need our protection. For those who are not found to be refugees, we should support them to return with dignity and humanity.
"Closing down the asylum system will simply result in vast cost, chaos and human misery with tens of thousands of people stuck in permanent limbo, likely to disappear into the margins of our communities, at risk of destitution, exploitation and abuse.”
The charity's analysis found that a 20% reduction in the number of Channel crossings so far this year was caused by a drop in Albanians arriving since the UK secured a returns agreement. Numbers fell from 35% between January and August 2022 to 3% over the same period this year.
However, there was a 19% rise in people from other nations crossing the Channel in the first eight months of 2023 - an increase from 16,275 last year to 19,441. This includes an almost five-fold increase in the number of people arriving from India, while arrivals from Turkey and Vietnam have more than tripled.
The Illegal Migration Act, hailed by the Government as key to deterring small boat crossings, became law on July 20. However it is not clear when its key changes will be implemented.
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