English Channel: What are the rules for those trying to enter the UK illegally?
Immigrants being brought to Dover after being rescued from the English Channel (file photo), photo source EPA
At least 27 people have drowned while trying to cross the English Channel by boat. Authorities say the dead included seven women and three children.
A record number of immigrants have tried to cross the English Channel in recent months.
What is being done to stop immigrants from the English Channel?
The British Border Force sends its ships to thwart attempts to cross the English Channel by small boats, but they can do nothing but rescue those in danger.
This week, France announced plans to provide تین 9.3 million worth of equipment and 100 vehicles to thwart immigrants' attempts to cross the English Channel.
The equipment includes beach-powered quad bikes, Zodiac boats and small boats. The Coast Guard has been given dark-sighted devices to see people hiding in the sand dunes crossing the English Channel. Come to the beach to do.
France insists it is doing everything in its power to prevent immigrants from crossing the English Channel.
France's defense minister said on Wednesday that 671 people trying to cross the English Channel in just one day had been stopped.
Pierre-Henri Dumane, a French MP from Calais, told the BBC that it was unrealistic to expect police officers to patrol the 200- to 300-kilometer coast 24 hours a day.
statistics
Britain has pledged Ú©Ùˆ 54 million to France to thwart attempts to cross the English Channel.
The money is being used to increase police patrols on the coast, to monitor migrant groups from the air and to increase security at ports.
The two countries have also formed a joint intelligence group that has assisted in 94 investigations. In the UK, 65 cases were registered in 2020 for attempting to cross the English Channel by small boats, while in France, 300 people were arrested.
How many immigrants cross the English Channel?
statistics
In just one day in November, 1,000 people crossed the English Channel and entered the UK.
This year, 25,000 people have crossed the English Channel to the UK. But these figures do not tell the whole story.
In 2019, 45,000 people applied for asylum in the UK, but not all of them crossed the English Channel and arrived in the UK, but were part of the asylum seekers.
What is done with the people you meet in the English Channel?
If a group of immigrants falls into the hands of the Border Force in an attempt to cross the English Channel, it is more likely that members of that group will be brought to a British port.
If these people are found in world waters, then the British and French authorities decide together what to do with these migrants. Both countries have their own search and safety zones.
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But since the English Channel is only twenty miles wide, the area is not considered international waters. Once immigrants enter British territory, they are usually taken to centers where they are kept for a short time.
Can immigrants be sent back to France?
Under international law, asylum seekers can reach any country and apply for asylum there. They do not have to apply for asylum in the same 'safe' country where they first sought asylum.
However, under the EU's Dublin III law, refugees are sent back to the country where they first arrived. Between January 2019 and October 2020, the UK deported 231 refugees who arrived in the UK under the Dublin III Act. But the UK is no longer part of the European Union and does not have this legal facility. As for refugees, the UK has not yet agreed on an alternative system with the European Union, making it difficult to repatriate migrants arriving in the UK.
The UK's immigration minister, Tom Persglillo, told members of parliament on November 17 that in 2021, the UK could send only five people back to EU countries.
Can immigrants be pushed back into the English Channel?
British Home Secretary Priti Patel has allowed Border Force officials to repatriate refugee boats under certain circumstances.
Australia has a policy of repatriating refugees. But France does not co-operate with the same British policy.
As soon as the boats come out of French waters, British officials cannot enter French waters without French consent, and refugees are protected under British law.
According to Maritime Law expert Professor Andrew Serdy, "If France does not agree to take back the refugees who have come out of its waters, it cannot be forced to do so."
A boat can be pushed back only when there is no danger to the lives of its occupants. Small boats carrying refugees cannot be considered safe.
What are the asylum application rules in the UK?
Immigrants are being brought to Dover after being rescued from the English Channel
The majority of immigrants arriving in the UK through the English Channel apply for asylum in the UK in the hope that they will receive refugee status, which means they will be able to stay here. They have to prove that if they return to their country they may face difficulties because of their religious, ethnic, national, political views, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Immigrant asylum application can also include a partner or children under the age of 18, if they are also in the UK.
These applications are decided by the case workers. Refugee applications are considered in the context of the refugee's home country.
The asylum application must be decided within six months, but it often takes longer.
What happens if an asylum application is approved?
Anyone who receives refugee status can stay in the UK with their family for five years, and after completing five years, they can apply for permanent residency in the UK.
Conversely, if someone is allowed to stay in the UK on humanitarian grounds, it means that they cannot obtain refugee status but may face the following conditions when they are sent back to their home country:
death penalty
Unlawful killing
Violence and humiliation
And the dangers to the lives of civilians during the war
Immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the UK on humanitarian grounds or have been granted refugee status can apply to allow their dependents from outside the UK to come to the UK.
In addition, people can be allowed to stay in the UK for a number of reasons. For example, if a child has no guardian or is a victim of human trafficking, how long such people can stay in the UK depends on their situation.
How many asylum applications are accepted?
In 2020, 36,000 people applied for asylum in the UK. Of these, 10,000 were allowed to stay in the UK on refugee status or otherwise. The figures are lower than last year, probably due to the Corona epidemic.
What financial assistance do refugees receive?
Refugees receive financial and housing assistance during the review of their application
People who have applied for asylum receive enough financial assistance to cover their living expenses.
People who have applied for asylum are not allowed to work. They can't do anything voluntarily.
If their application cannot be decided within a year and they have a skill that is lacking in the UK, then they may be allowed to work.
The purpose of this controversial regulation is to prevent people from applying for asylum in order to find work in the UK.
Opponents of the rule, however, say it is an obstacle to the integration of asylum seekers into society and a waste of the skills they have brought with them.
Asylum seekers cannot decide their own accommodation. Initially they are housed in hostel-like accommodation but can be relocated later. During this time each refugee is paid 39 39 per week.
However, children and pregnant women can get extra help. Refugees whose asylum application is under consideration have access to health care and must send their children to school.
What happens if my asylum application is rejected?
If the asylum application is rejected and no other justification for staying in the UK is accepted, the asylum seeker is ordered to leave the country voluntarily or to leave by force. Individuals whose asylum application has been rejected can appeal this decision.
Between 2004 and 2020, about 30 percent of such appeals were successful. The applicant is granted the right to reside in the UK at the time the appeal is filed and is also provided with legal assistance. These appeals often take years to decide. During this time they continue to receive financial and housing assistance.