Sunak: We tried every other way on migrant boats, it hasn't worked

1. PM Rishi Sunak has given a media briefing on a new law aimed at stopping people crossing the Channel on small boats
2. He said "if you come here illegally, you can't claim asylum or stay in the UK", adding "we have tried every other way, it has not worked"
3. The new law places a duty on the home secretary to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally
4. Suella Braverman earlier told MPs she was "confident" the bill is compatible with international law
5. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says the bill isn't a solution and lets people smugglers "off the hook"
6. The Refugee Council says it breaks the UK's commitment to give people a fair hearing, regardless of how they arrive, under the UN Human Rights Convention
7. More than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018

We are ending our live coverage

Jamie Whitehead

Live reporter

Thanks for joining us for our live coverage today, here's a quick recap of what's been happening.

• Rishi Sunak said migrants arriving in the UK illegally will be removed "within weeks" as part of government plans to end Channel crossings
• The PM said the Illegal Migration Bill will stop people claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means
• Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the House of commons that asylum seekers arriving illegally will be detained and face a lifetime ban on travelling to the UK after they are removed to a third country, like Rwanda, or their own country if it is safe
• They will not be allowed to settle Britain or ever gain citizenship
• Sunak described the plans as "tough" but "necessary and fair"
• Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says the bill isn't a solution and lets people smugglers "off the hook"
• The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, said it is "profoundly concerned" by the Bill and if passed will amount to an "asylum ban" and "clear breach of the Refugee Convention"

There's more on this story below:

• Sunak says he is up for the fight on illegal Channel crossings
• Small boats bill aimed at galvanising political support at home
• How is the UK stopping Channel crossings and what are the legal routes to the UK?

Today's page was edited by Sarah Fowler, Nathan Williams, Jeremy Gahagan and me. Our writers were Sean Seddon, Aoife Walsh, James Gregory, Kathryn Armstrong, George Wright, Jack Burgess and Andre Rhoden-Paul.

Can asylum seekers reach the UK legally?

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The Home Office says there are a number of "safe and legal" routes to the UK.

However, some are only available to people from specific countries such as Afghanistan and Ukraine, or for British National status holders in Hong Kong.

Other asylum routes only accept a limited number of refugees according to precise criteria:

• UK Resettlement Scheme - opened in 2021 and prioritises those from regions in conflict. It planned to resettle 5,000 in its first year, but only relocated 1,125
• Community Sponsorship Scheme - opened in 2016 for local community groups to provide accommodation and support for refugees. In 2021, 144 people came through this route
• Refugee Family Reunion - opened in 2011 to partners and children under 18 of those already granted protection in the UK. In 2021, 6,134 visas were granted through this route
• Mandate Resettlement Scheme - opened in 1995 to resettle refugees who have a close family member in the UK who can offer them a home. The scheme has resettled about 430 refugees since 2004, but just two people in 2021

Organisations including the Refugee Council and Amnesty International insist there are no safe and legal routes for most people to seek asylum in the UK.

Read more on this story.

Essex airfield could be used to house migrants

Where are people detained under the new rules going to be housed?

That's one of the big questions arising from today's announcement and the government's pledge to slash the amount of money spent on hotel accommodation.

It appears one solution under consideration is a disused RAF airfield in Wethersfield, North Essex.

A Braintree District Council spokesperson told the BBC it had been "approached" by the Home Office today to "discuss the potential role of Wethersfield airfield site in housing asylum seekers".

The council is "seeking clarification" from the Home Office, the spokesperson said.

The airfield was already being considered by the Ministry of Justice as a potential site for a new prison, a proposal which has been opposed by some people living in the area.

New bill will cost lives, MSF says

More aid agency reaction now. This has come in from Medecins Sans Frontieres, which says the new legislation will cost lives

In a statement, MSF said it "strongly condemns the dangerous new Illegal Migration Bill".

“The idea that people will be rapidly returned or expelled to Rwanda is not realistic, and so we anticipate that thousands of people will become stuck indefinitely after arrival to the UK, where there is no clear plan to accommodate them,” said Natalie Roberts, Executive Director of MSF UK.

Roberts said the bill is similar to policies on Greek Islands "where our teams report overwhelming numbers of people suffering from serious mental and physical health issues while contained in deplorable living conditions".

MSF says the plans "are particularly concerning given that there are virtually no safe and legal routes for people from the vast majority of countries to reach the UK".

“We know, and this government knows too, that this utterly cruel legislation will not stop people fleeing violence, persecution and other hardships,” Roberts added.

Church of England accuses government of 'abdicating responsibility'

Some more reaction now, this coming from the Church of England.

The Bishop of Durham, The Rt Rev Paul Butler, who speaks for the church on migration, has questioned whether the bill is the right response to the Channel crossings.

“No one wants to see people risking their lives to reach safety, but we must ask is this bill the right response - one that is built on compassion, justice and moral leadership?" he asks.

He claims the legislation would be likely to push thousands of people, including children, into a “prolonged legal limbo and imprisonment”.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has previously criticised plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

New law would amount to ‘asylum ban’ – UN refugee agency

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says in a statement that the new legislation, if passed into law, would amount to an “asylum ban”.

“In its current form, the Bill compels the Home Secretary to deny access to the UK asylum system those who arrive irregularly,” the statement reads, adding that the bill doesn’t take into consideration individual circumstances.

The UNHRC argues that there are no safe and “legal” routes open to many people fleeing war and persecution because they are unable to access passports or visas.

The refugee agency says that it has presented the UK government with concrete alternative proposals to tackling the issues associated with illegal migration and will continue to work with Westminster.

Read the full statement here.

Question on safe routes still outstanding for the government

Ione Wells

Political correspondent

The prime minister has argued that backlogs in the asylum system mean it is harder to process people who the government considers eligible for asylum.

One question still outstanding for the government is: what further 'safe and legal routes' will they introduce for people who want to seek asyum in the UK, but currently can't get here without travelling through another 'safe country' first? The UK is an island afterall.

There are some official schemes that exist already, most recently those created for individuals fleeing Afghanistan or Ukraine.

But ministers are under pressure to outline how refugees from some other nations, which don't have similar schemes, are supposed to apply for asylum here.

A deal needs to be made with the EU - Labour

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Labour's Stephen Kinnock has been speaking to BBC News outlining why his party opposes the bill, saying the proposals represent "more empty rhetoric" from the government. He also accuses them of "losing control" of the border and asylum system

He says a deal needs to be negotiated with the EU - where the UK offers to take in a certain number of asylum seekers and the EU in return accepts that people arriving in small boats will be returned to where they set sail from.

"That's the way to break the people smugglers", he adds, before going on to say "We then need upstream processing, working with our European partners and allies getting a strategy across Europe to address this issue so that we take our fair share and other European countries do the same".

What did Sunak say?

Reuters

The prime minister has finished fielding questions on a new law aimed at stopping people crossing the Channel in small boats. Here's a round-up of what he said:

• If you come here illegally, "you can't claim asylum or stay in the UK", he said, calling the new law "tough but fair"

• The asylum system is being overwhelmed and is "devastatingly unfair" on those genuine asylum seekers who need the most help
• "We have tried every other way, it has not worked"
• Those who are coming to the UK in small boats are not the most vulnerable and are paying thousands to do so
• Sunak said he believed the new law is in compliance with international law and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
• Illegal migration is a "shared challenge" for all of Europe, he said
• He finished by saying: "Deterrents can work and will work"

Clear attempt to cement 'stop the boats' slogan in voters' minds

Ione Wells

Political correspondent

PA Media

Simple slogans - like 'Get Brexit Done' - have worked well electorally for the Tories in the past.

Now we have a new one: Stop The Boats.

Doing press conferences with it branded across lecterns, splashing it across front pages with opinion pieces in newspapers, and repeating it in speeches are a clear attempt to cement this slogan in the heads of voters.

There are some on the Tory backbenches who think this issue alone is what they should fight the next election campaign on.

But it's a risky strategy. The government itself admits its plan may face many hurdles - possibly both legal and political.

And what's the measure of success? If Channel crossings are reduced, but are still happening in their hundreds and thousands by the next election, the slogan could come back to haunt the prime minister.

'The deterrent effect can be powerful' - Sunak

The final question comes from The i - "Are you confident there is enough capacity in Rwanda and that the deterrent will work?"

"The deterrent effect can be powerful quickly" Sunak says, and adds "since the Rwanda deal was announced, there has been a "change in behaviour" from people planning to crossover from France

"We are seeing a change in the numbers coming from Albania too, It gives me the confidence that deterrents can work and will work."

And that's a wrap - the prime minister has left the room.

New legislation is 'novel and ambitious' - Sunak

Talk TV are now asking a question, their reporter asks the prime minister if the UK would leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if it meant keeping his promise to the public on illegal immigration.

Sunak responds by saying he believes the new legislation is compliant with international obligations and his obligations to the British public.

He describes it as "tough, novel and ambitious".

He adds the new laws will mean it is easier to process asylum applications, with decisions being made in days and "not months on end... then removing them [migrants who have had applications refused]."

Does the government have a plan B?

BBC

GB News' Tom Harwood asks Sunak if he's up for a potential fight against the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). He also asks what the government's 'Plan B' is if they win.

In response, Sunak says "of course" he's up for the fight and the government is confident they will win.

He says ministers believe they are acting in compliance with international law and the ECHR.

'Illegal migration a shared challenge for Europe' - Sunak

Asked if France's full backing is needed for the policy to succeed, Sunak says illegal migration is a "shared challenge" for all of Europe.

He pays tribute to French enforcement teams working on the ground and says collaboration has improved, thanks to a deal struck previously with Paris.

The PM also says countries like France, Germany and Italy are taking steps to tackle illegal migration.

Sunak is due to meet French President Emmanuel Macron later this week.

Sunak on what success will look like

Where did previous prime ministers go wrong on this issue and what does success look like? Sky News asks.

"It's not about "dwelling on the past", Sunak responds

"This is happening across Europe, and is a global challenge" he adds before going on to say "We'll only be able to solve this problem when we do something "novel" and "bold"

Sunak finishes his answer by saying "Success is having a system where people who come here illegally are returned.

"People will see it's not worth their while"

Nothing 'compassionate' about letting situation persist - Sunak

Robert Peston from ITV asks "how is it compassionate that the government is seeking to criminalise asylum seekers?", adding that a lot of the migrants are "vulnerable and traumatised"

Sunak responds by saying that "nothing is compassionate about letting the current situation persist", and claims those who are coming to the UK on small boats are not the most vulnerable and are paying thousands to do so.

PM confident he can deliver on his pledge

The BBC’s Political Editor, Chris Mason, asks whether the prime minister will have failed if he doesn’t stop the migrant boats by the next general election.

Rishi Sunak responds that he is confident that he can deliver on his promise, saying he has thought long and hard about how to clamp down on illegal migration.

“I’m confident that the bill we’re introducing today will help us do that.”

'We have tried every other way, it has not worked' - Sunak

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The prime minister goes on to say the asylum system being overwhelmed is "devastatingly unfair" on those genuine asylum seekers who need the most help.

He says full control allows to decide who to help and to provide safe routes.

"We have tried it every other way and it has not worked," he adds.

Sunak says deterrents work and the government can get on top of illegal migration.

He says the UK will always be a compassionate country, but says the current situation is not moral or sustainable.

He says it cannot go on as British people are spending nearly £6m a day to "put up illegal migrants in hotels".

Sunak says illegal migration can't be stopped overnight. But the government has already done deals with France and Albania to increase security and deter people from attempting the journey.

He says 500 people have already been returned to Albania and that "far fewer are coming as a result".

He says there is "nothing inevitable" about illegal migration but that stopping it needs "will and determination".