Results for: Asylum Seekers

The Biden administration is reportedly planning to announce an asylum regulation that would allow officials to remove some illegal immigrants earlier in the asylum process. The Department of Homeland Security is planning to issue a regulation that would apply bars to eligibility for those claiming asylum at the initial screening stage at the border rather than during the interview stage. Should migrants fail to meet those criteria, it would allow officials to expedite their removal. The rule would likely only apply to those who are screened for an asylum claim. The Biden administration last year implemented a broader asylum rule that makes illegal immigrants ineligible for asylum if they have crossed multiple countries without claiming asylum. The rule would also be far short of sweeping changes proposed by the Biden administration, which has called on Congress to provide additional funding and a sweeping immigration reform bill.

The ‘Rwanda Asylum Plan’ has been implemented in the UK, which involves relocating illegal immigrants to Rwanda for processing, asylum, and resettlement. This plan aims to deter illegal migration and human trafficking. Asylum seekers from war-torn countries like Afghanistan are now at risk of being deported to Rwanda, a country with a questionable human rights record.

Hundreds of asylum seekers have established an encampment at Powell Barnett Park in Seattle after funding for their hotel accommodations in nearby Kent dried up. The group, which includes individuals from Venezuela, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, had previously camped outside a church in Tukwila before securing hotel stays. They are now seeking permanent housing and assistance from the government.

The United Kingdom’s Rwanda Bill has been passed into law, a move that has drawn both praise and criticism. The Bill allows asylum seekers who entered the UK illegally after January 1, 2022, to be sent to Rwanda for processing. However, regardless of whether an asylum seeker is found to be genuine or not, they cannot return to the UK and must settle in either Rwanda or another country. This policy has been met with resistance from opponents who argue that Rwanda is not a safe country and that the plan violates the European Convention on Human Rights. Despite these concerns, supporters of the Bill claim that it will act as a deterrent to those who attempt to illegally enter the UK.

The UK and Italy are collaborating to tackle illegal migration and human trafficking by targeting popular routes through Southern and Eastern Europe and Africa. This follows the tragic drowning of five people in the English Channel after a dinghy carrying 58 Eritrean or Sudanese migrants capsized. Two Sudanese and a South Sudanese national have been arrested for alleged trafficking. The Rwanda plan, aimed at deterring asylum seekers, has drawn criticism from the Refugee Council, which estimates that it will leave thousands in an unresolved state. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron’s comments about pre-Brexit migration policies have sparked controversy, with leading Brexiteer Nigel Farage arguing that the UK has received a higher number of crossings since leaving the EU.

The implementation of the UK government’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is imminent, with preparations underway for flights to take people to the East African country in the coming weeks. The plan, which has drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups and opposition parties, involves sending individuals who arrive in the UK illegally to Rwanda, where their asylum claims will be processed.

Asylum seekers residing on a government-leased accommodation barge in England express trepidation over the prospect of being deported to Rwanda. The UK government’s controversial proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has sparked concerns among those living on the Bibby Stockholm barge. They fear being sent to Rwanda, where they believe they will face danger and could potentially be returned to their home countries, which they fled due to conflict or persecution.

British police have apprehended three individuals suspected of aiding unlawful immigration and entering the UK illegally following the tragic deaths of five migrants, including a child, while attempting to cross the English Channel from France. Rescuers retrieved approximately 50 people from the overloaded vessel, but many remained aboard, determined to reach Britain’s shores.

As the Ukrainian war rages on, Russian citizens are fleeing to Western countries in record numbers to evade conscription. The U.K. government has reported unprecedented levels of asylum applications from Russians seeking to avoid military service. Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy casualties, leading to intensified recruitment efforts and a widening pool of available conscripts. The increased conscription age and penalties for draft dodging in Russia have further exacerbated the issue. Despite the influx of new recruits, Russia’s army has been reconstituted at a faster pace than anticipated, according to Western experts.

In a somber turn of events, the day five individuals perished while attempting to cross the Channel saw the arrival of over 400 migrants in the United Kingdom. These crossings occurred simultaneously with the tragic incident off the coast of northern France, just hours after Parliament approved legislation intended to implement the government’s plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda. The crossings resumed despite an eight-day pause in Channel activity, with an average of approximately 57 individuals per boat. Among those brought ashore in Dover, Kent, were young children and infants, while witnesses described the transfer of someone on a stretcher from a lifeboat to an ambulance. While campaigners criticized the Rwanda plan, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized the incident’s relevance to the government’s deterrent strategy. The latest crossings raise the provisional yearly total to 6,667, a slight decrease compared to 2022 but still exceeding the figures from the same period last year.