A new law set to go before Parliament on Tuesday will introduce new measures aimed at removing migrants entering the UK on small boats.
It is expected the Illegal Migration Bill will prevent those arriving illegally from claiming asylum or returning to the UK in future.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was “fair for those at home and those who have a legitimate claim to asylum”.
Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer has described the plans as “unworkable”.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the bill would push “the boundaries of international law” without breaking it, telling the Express the measures were needed to “solve this crisis”.
The government believes the issue of migrant crossings matters to voters and will be key at the next election.
The PM has made tackling it one of the central pledges of his premiership, and ministers are prepared to test legal limits to address the issue.
There are also clear political messages being raised, with Ms Braverman accusing Labour of “betraying hard-working Brits” by not backing the plans.
More than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from around 300 in 2018.
Under the proposals, the home secretary would be placed under a “duty to remove” those arriving illegally in the UK.
This would take precedence in law over someone’s right to claim asylum – although there would be exemptions for the under-18s and those with serious medical conditions.
While the bill would not become law for several months it would apply retrospectively, meaning anyone arriving in the UK illegally from Tuesday would be at risk of deportation.
The new laws are expected to strain the UK’s commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN’s Refugee Convention which currently give rights to asylum seekers arriving in the UK.
Bbc/Adebukola Aluko
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