U.K. Cracks Down on Refugee Rights in Right-Wing Effort to “Stop the Boats”
Democracy NowDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Tuesday, the UK announced a new bill that focuses on deterring illegal immigration, denying entry to migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats or use other illegal means of entering the UK.
The legislation — dubbed the Illegal Migration Bill — will detain and deport illegal migrants back home or to a “safe third country” and also bar them from returning or seeking citizenship.
The Spin
Right narrative
The UK government is taking the bold and necessary step to crack down on the migration crisis as thousands of people dangerously and illegally traverse the English Channel. Gangs use women and children to gain entry to the UK, smuggling them against their will, and something has to be done.
Left narrative
The UK government is implementing an unethical and unworkable policy that will put asylum seekers in even graver danger as many people are leaving dangerous countries that they cannot return to. The UK must work with the international community to help refugees, not abandon them.