Boris Johnson defended the “dragon” plans of the Ministry of the Interior to electronically mark asylum seekers arriving in Britain across the English Channel in small boats or trucks.
Although the warnings warn that people fleeing the conflict will be treated as “criminals”, the prime minister said it was important that people could not simply “disappear” after arriving in the UK.
Mr Johnson also insisted that the government would continue its controversial policy of deporting some asylum seekers to Rwanda after ministers were forced to cancel their first flight on Tuesday night due to a last-minute lawsuit.
The Home Office says the 12-month marker pilot – to be applied to adults traveling to the UK on “unnecessary and dangerous routes” – will test whether such markings help maintain regular contact with asylum seekers and whether this means that their requests are evolving more. effectively.
It will also collect data on how many people are absconding and, if conditions are closed, those seeking asylum may be considered for detention and deportation subject to administrative arrest or prosecution,
Those marked will have to appear in person with the authorities on a regular basis, may be subject to curfew or be expelled from certain places, and if they do not comply, they may be remanded in custody or prosecuted.
Defending Saturday’s plans, Mr Johnson said: “This is a very, very generous country. That’s very right. I’m proud of that, but when people come here illegally, when they break the law, it’s important to make that distinction.
“This is what we are doing with our policy in Rwanda. We are doing this to ensure that asylum seekers cannot simply disappear in the rest of the country. “
He was speaking after it was revealed that the 12-month-old pilot – dubbed “draconian and punitive” by critics – had already started on Thursday.
During a visit to Wakefiled – before a crucial by-election – Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of “chasing headlines” over politics.
“What I want is a serious answer, because no one wants these trips across the English Channel to be made, these dangerous trips,” he said.
“Everyone wants to reduce gangs. This requires increased work with the French authorities and upstream work to actually deal with these gangs.
“You don’t do that if you’re a government that wants the National Crime Agency to make cuts.
Speaking to RAF reporters Brize Norton after returning from an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Mr Johnson also said ministers remained confident that the policy of deporting asylum seekers was legal.
Earlier this week, the government was forced to cancel its first tax-funded flight to Rwanda worth £ 500,000 – just minutes before its planned departure – after a handful of migrants were legally allowed to postpone it.
About four asylum seekers had to board the plane, but last-minute complaints were upheld by a judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) outside working hours.
Mr Johnson said: “Every court in this country has said that there is no obstacle they can see. No court in this country has declared the policy illegal – which was very, very encouraging.
“There was a strange last-minute hiccup we had with Strasbourg. Let’s see how far we can go with this. I read interesting legal comments on the subject. But we are very confident in the legitimacy of what we are doing and we will follow the policy. “
On Wednesday, Priti Patel, the interior minister, said Interior Ministry officials were already working on plans for the next flight, but the government declined to give any time frame.
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