Thousands of Afghan refugees now living in the United Kingdom were told last week in a secret crisis conference in Downing Street that they risk becoming homeless this August.
According to The Guardian, around 8,000 Afghan refugees who were admitted to the UK in 2021 under the initiative Operation Warm Welcome are set to be removed from hotels as early as August due to a government deadline.
Last Thursday's emergency meeting, June 8, occurred just before the prime minister covertly changed a contentious provision of the asylum legislation from the previous year.
On Sunday, June 11, a parliamentary committee argued that Rishi Sunak's illegal immigration bill violates many international human rights standards and would lead to the UK "turning its back on the vast majority of refugees."
The joint committee on human rights issues a scathing report, urging the UK to live up to its legal commitments to refugees, children, and victims of modern slavery.
Authorities Met With Private Contractors To Discuss "Low-Cost" Asylum Seeker Relocation
On Thursday, authorities met with a number of Home Office private contractors to investigate "low-cost" solutions for relocating as many as 50,000 asylum seekers now staying in hotels. But it was clear right away that governments would have a hard time helping because there were not enough homes.
As the number of small boat crossings rises in response to better weather, pressure on the system is expected to increase further.
Sunak said last Monday that the government had bought two additional massive barges to shelter about 1,000 people in an effort to minimize the number of asylum seekers living in hotels, which allegedly costs £6 million ($7 million) a day. The acquisition has prompted new concerns about cost-effectiveness, though.
Also Read: UK Net Migration Reaches New Record High Despite Government Cutbacks, Student Visa Crackdown
UK's Illegal Immigration Law May Breach Several International Human Rights Norms
Experts believe the government's lack of safe locations to accommodate asylum seekers is a major concern that might derail the success of the government's illegal migration bill, as reported by The Guardian.
Ministers would be given the authority to hold and deport anybody who enters the UK unlawfully under this new law. Based on the Refugee Council's analysis, over 190,000 individuals might end up in prison or homeless in the first three years of the bill's implementation. However, current numbers exceed available space. Thus it is uncertain where such a large group may be kept.
The joint committee on human rights has issued a report stating that if the measure were to pass in its present form, the UK would be in violation of international human rights law. Among these shortcomings would be the elimination of the right to appeal after age determinations, the denial of protection to victims of modern slavery, and the inability to access the asylum system for refugees.
Also Read: UK Migration Bill: Archbishop of Canterbury Warns Against Potential Damages
