The UK government is considering a plan to deport failed asylum seekers to the Balkans. Home Office officials have discussed proposals to establish overseas "repatriation centers" to house asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected and who have exhausted all avenues of appeal. According to government sources, these proposals are still at a "very early stage" and could involve paying receiving countries resettlement fees in exchange for them accepting individuals deported from the UK.
Read Also...:
Trump contends that Biden's pardons have no force because they were signed with an autopen
03-24, 2025
Homeland Security revokes temporary status for 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans
03-24, 2025
Large fire breaks out in Disney's EPCOT theme park in Florida
03-24, 2025
UK government orders probe into Heathrow shutdown that sparked concern over energy resilience
03-24, 2025The Prime Minister has pledged to address the crisis of people crossing the English Channel in small boats and to "substantially" reduce net migration. This follows his cancellation of a Conservative Party plan to send migrants arriving by small boat to Rwanda for processing of their asylum claims. Unlike that plan, the new proposal would only apply to asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected and who have no further avenues of appeal. The overseas centers would allow the government to deport failed asylum seekers from countries deemed unsafe, such as Iran and Somalia, and house other rejected applicants awaiting return to their home countries.
The UK government's proposals come as the European Commission has expressed support for its member states using "repatriation centers." The European Commission earlier put forward a proposal suggesting member states use repatriation centers as an "innovative" solution to "migration management." The proposal made clear that families with children and unaccompanied minors would be excluded from the scheme. Any repatriation center plan would require officials to reach an agreement with the country hosting the center. Current proposals are primarily focused on the Western Balkans, which includes Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Labour believes the plan could save money by speeding up the repatriation process and increasing the number of deportations. Last year, there were 9,151 asylum-related deportations, a 36% increase from 2023. Officials believe the plan could also alleviate pressure on local government budgets, which are strained by failed asylum seekers who are homeless and whom local authorities have a legal duty to support. However, any plan involving overseas immigration centers is likely to face legal challenges and strong opposition from refugee charities. Italy previously attempted to process migrant applications at two detention centers in Albania, but was blocked by Italian courts.
A government source said the issue was a "shared challenge across the globe and we have always been clear that this international problem requires international solutions." "That is why we are considering the widest possible range of options with an open mind. Any plan we consider must meet the requirements of being economically viable, practically deliverable and lawful." Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council criticized the government's proposals, saying: "Eye-catching gimmicks and knee-jerk, costly schemes like this appear more about sounding tough than actually being effective solutions."
Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip said: "Labour are now considering offshore processing, which shows they were wrong to scrap the Rwanda plan and that their attempts to 'smash the gangs' have been a total failure." He claimed Labour had "lost control of our borders" and added that they should "urgently get the Rwanda removals scheme up and running." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the number of people crossing the English Channel was "genuinely concerning." According to the latest figures, more than 5,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats so far this year.
During the Liberal Democrats' spring conference, Sir Ed told reporters in Harrogate that he was "glad the government scrapped the Rwanda plan because it wasn't working as a deterrent." "Virtually no one was going, in fact, and it cost a fortune. If they have a better plan, we'll consider it." He called on the government to speed up processing times to save taxpayers' money.
