The UK has announced it will pay for 200 French officers to detain and deport asylum seekers in a move to curb Channel crossings.
A facility in Dunkirk will be used to detain migrants from 10 countries, as France agrees to act against those attempting to reach the United Kingdom in small boats for the first time.
The 10 countries include: Vietnam, Yemen, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq and Syria. These countries according to the Home Office were the top 10 who crossed the channel by small boat last year.
While officials say the scheme could result in hundreds or thousands being detained, previous attempts by EU countries, including France, to deport migrants under the Dublin Regulation have not been without challenges.
Read also on The New Daily Prime: UK, France seal £662m deal to curb channel crossings
UK expands facial recognition policing nationwide after court controversial tech
The chief executive of Safe Passage International, Jo Cobley has however argued that deporting people to unsafe countries was “disgraceful and unlawful”.
She said: “With no accessible safe routes and the government’s suspension of refugee family reunion, the only way to reach the UK to ask for protection is across the Channel – punishing people with detention, deportation threats and police violence does not change that”.
“It’s disgraceful, and unlawful, to return people to active war zones or where they face persecution, in countries like Afghanistan, Sudan and Iran, and to target people who would have very likely been granted protection in the UK.”
Home Office sources said French officials would prioritise people from those 10 countries because of UK concerns that they were fuelling the small boats crisis in the Channel.
The head of Freedom from Torture, Sile Reynolds said the policy would likely draw public concern, noting that it involves funding the detention of people who have fled conflict and persecution.
She said those affected could include individuals escaping violence in countries such as Sudan, Iran and Eritrea, adding that many were seeking protection in the UK after experiencing severe hardship adding that survivors of torture and trauma should never be detained.
For more details, visit New Daily Prime
