British MPs estimated on Monday July 18 that London's plan to deport illegally arrived migrants to Rwanda is far from having the desired deterrent effect against Channel crossings, and plead for a review in France of requests for 'asylum.
Hoping to combat these ever-increasing small craft crossings and deliver on one of the Brexit promises by tackling illegal immigration, the Conservative government has struck a deal with Rwanda, but no deportations have yet taken place. .
A first flight scheduled for June was canceled after a decision by the European Court of Human Rights.
“Unrealistic” efforts
In a report released on Monday, the House Home Affairs Committee said there is "
no clear evidence
" that the highly controversial policy is deterring migrants from making the perilous crossing.
"
The report concludes that the government's efforts to find a single, low-cost solution to close this entry route are unrealistic and will not succeed
," the commission said in a statement.
MEPs recommend in particular to negotiate with France the installation of centers for examining asylum applications, for example by establishing a pilot programme.
In its report, the commission "
recognizes that this is a contentious issue between the British and French governments
", and insists on the need to establish assurances that migrants whose applications are rejected will be "
detained and deported , so that they do not simply return to the French coasts
”.
“
We have a search for radical new policies which may be making headlines in the press but do little to combat the influx of people willing to risk their lives to reach the UK by any means
“, denounced MP Diana Johnson (Labour), chair of the commission.
Read alsoExpulsion of migrants to Rwanda: “A standoff begins between London and the ECHR”
MEPs point out that Channel crossings in small boats continue to increase significantly: 28,500 people arrived in the UK in 2021, and already 14,000 this year, so the total could reach 60,000 by at the end of the year.
At least 166 people have died or gone missing attempting the crossing, including 27 in a single day at the end of 2021. “
There is no silver bullet to solve the migration crisis facing the world, but we must do everything in our power to fix the failing asylum system in the UK
,” responded a spokesperson for the Home Office, defending government plans to break the “
business model
” of smugglers.
