Rishi Sunak’s government is considering plans to fast-track the removal of asylum seekers from designated “safe” countries in an effort to tackle small boats crossings, it has been reported.
Home secretary Suella Braverman is said to want to revive a New Labour government policy which would see a “white list” of countries deemed to be safe by the Home Office.
Asylum claims of citizens from those countries would largely be regarded as unfounded, unless they are able to provide contrasting evidence – with no right of appeal, according to The Times.
Migrants arriving in small boats from one of the countries deemed safe would reportedly be detained at the Manston processing site in Kent or other centres.
Elsewhere, Rishi Sunak declared that the UK’s “golden era” of ties with China was over as he described Beijing’s move “towards even greater authoritarianism” as a “systemic challenge to our values and interests”.
However, he warned against “simplistic Cold War rhetoric” on China, and insisted he would continue to employ “diplomacy and engagement” in his dealings with the Communist-run state.
