The UK government willing to implement push-backs against the migrant boats arriving on its coasts

Source: Euro-med Monitoring

The number of people crossing the UK channel has never been as high as these last few weeks. In 2019, 1 800 people reached the British coasts by small boats. So far in 2021, they are already 13 500 people.

The home secretary Priti Patel responded to this rise by asking for a change of the UK interpretation of international maritime law and already started to train the border force staff to send back the small boats into French waters before they can reach the British coast.

Immediately after, the French ministry of the interior condemned this decision stating that the protection of human lives should remain the highest priority. If the border forces specified that this tactic would be used only in specific circumstances and when the situation is deemed as sure, human rights NGOs are still worried. They denounce a technic that would constitute a breach of the right to seek asylum and violate every ship duty to render assistance at sea according to international maritime law. Finally, it would threaten the life of people already undertaking a very dangerous journey.

Source: Priti Patel to send boats carrying migrants to UK back across Channel | UK news | The Guardian