London: Anyone arriving illegally in Britain will be prevented from staying, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in an interview published on Sunday, ahead of new legislation which is expected to be set out next week.
Under pressure from his own lawmakers to find a solution to the flow of migrants arriving in Britain across the channel from Europe, Sunak has made stopping small boats one of his five key priorities.
“Make no mistake, if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay,” Sunak told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
A new law to tackle the issue is due to be set out on Tuesday, the newspaper reported, after more than 45,000 people made the perilous crossing last year.
The paper reported the proposed new legislation will mean that all those who arrive on small boats will have their asylum claims ruled inadmissible, and will be removed to a ‘safe third country’ as soon as possible.
“Enough is enough. The British people want this solved,” Home Secretary (interior minister Suella Braverman told the paper. “They are sick of tough talk and inadequate action. We must stop the boats.”
The number of migrants arriving on the English coast has more than doubled in the last two years and tackling the issue was one of five key priorities outlined in January by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose party is languishing in polls, under pressure from his own lawmakers to find a solution.