Priti Patel forced to apologize after allegations of misleading parliament over the central demand regarding her highly controversial proposals to change immigration laws.
home secretary told MPs that the widely criticized Citizenship and Borders Act would create new safe and legal routes to the UK for asylum seekers, assuming that new routes would ensure that people never ever need to risk their lives are trying to get to the UK.
During the parliamentary debate last November – held the day after 27 people drowned in They tried to cross the English Channel from France – Patel assured deputies that the bill “does create safe and legal routes.”
However, the Home Office has now acknowledged that the proposed law to be passed back To home of Communities this week in fact does not contain provisions for safe government-supported routes for asylum seekers.
Letter from the Ministry of the Interior dated 5 April. minister Tom Pursglove at the humanitarian charity MSF UK directly contradicts Patel, stating that safe and legal routes “are not part of of check”.
Sophie McCann, MSF UK’s advocacy officer, said the controversy was revealing. of manner in which government and home secretary tried to sell deeply divisive proposals to reform the orphanage. system: “This is just in latest copy of This government either deeply misleading or obscuring provisions and consequences of check.”
She is added: “Again we see the government’s slippery relationship with in truth when it comes to acknowledging the harm that will be done to the vulnerable people seeking safety to the UK.”
BUT failure ensuring safe and legal routes to the UK has resulted in a large number of of Asylum seekers risking their lives cross the English Channel in small boats, the scenario that led to last November tragedy, in what pregnant women and three children were among dead.
As long as it year, more than 5000 people have made dangerous journey across the English Channel on small boats, three times as much as this time last year.
However, the Ministry of the Interior tried give the proposed law appears to offer safe routes: the “newsletter” it published last December was titled: “Citizenship and Borders Bill: Safe and Legal Pathways.”
Although government has provided some legal avenues to asylum, such as the Afghan Nationals Relocation Scheme, experts say are inadequate. They indicate out, for for example, that it would not protect an Afghan asylum seeker who reached the UK via small a boat.
McCann said: “There are almost no safe ways for someone fleeing war, persecution or poverty to travel to the UK. Instead of of helping those who are most in needcitizenship and borders bill will increase peoplex risk of dying trying to get here.”
However, the bill itself in trouble after a breakup for a second time at home of Lords, who have suffered 10 defeats lately on in government over their immigration proposals.
Until both the House of Commons and the Lords agree on in final wording of account, he can’t pass into law; the bill will back before the House of Commons this week.
But with in current parliamentary session expected to end within a few weeks, ministers may be forced to make concessions if they want to ease the bill’s passage amid an increasingly tight legislative impasse.
McCann said: “Even at this late stage, we are calling on the Home Office to reconsider their decision: they must drop inhuman policy in border bill and commit to ensure safe and legal routes for all people fleeing war and persecution.
Make no mistake government knows well what influences of This policy will – it deliberately and voluntarily exposes refugees to terrible suffering. The Ministry of the Interior has already admitted that Ukrainians are fleeing the war in their country who arrive in UK illegal risk jail under terms of check.
When asked to explain Patel’s claim that safe and legal routes were included in bill, the Home Office stated that “new plan for immigration” will strengthen existing routes for refugees “so that they don’t have to give their lives in arms of people smugglers.”
representative added: ” home secretary meant it, and assume she misled parliament is an wrong. We will continue to provide shelter to those in need fleeing persecution through our global Scheme of resettlement in the UK.
“In addition, we will provide more refugees enter the UK through community sponsorship”.
