Britain prepares to present new bill to curb migrant boat arrivals

 

Britain's Conservative government is expected to present on Tuesday a new bill providing for the detention and swift deportation of asylum seekers who illegally enter the country via small boats, according to media reports.

Despite Brexit-related promises to tighten control of its borders, Britain has seen a considerable uptick in such arrivals, logging a record 45,000 last year, and pressure has mounted on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to tackle the situation.

The bill to be unveiled Tuesday includes measures facilitating the detention and deportation "as soon as reasonably practicable" of asylum seekers arriving in the country illegally, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.

According to the Mail, the legislation contains a "rights brake", making asylum claims by those arriving on small boats inadmissible.

The government intends to send at least some deportees to Rwanda under a deal that was struck last year but which had never been applied after running into legal challenges.