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Rishi Sunak’s promise to stop vessels transporting migrants across the English Channel is once more in jeopardy due to the Home Office’s designation of Turkey as an unsafe nation.
The prime minister’s plan to negotiate a return agreement with Ankara is now at risk due to this decision. Officials claim that Turkey’s anti-terrorism laws are too excessive and that their judicial system conducts unfair trials. There have also been reports of torture within the system.
Last year, a total of 3,000 individuals from Turkey entered the UK via small boats, making it the third highest nationality and a significant increase compared to the previous year’s number.
There has been significant disagreement within the party regarding Rishi Sunak’s inability to effectively address the crisis involving small boats.
The suggested agreement would have followed the same pattern as the deal made with Albania, according to Downing Street. They claim that since the returns deal was established, there has been a 90 percent decrease in the number of individuals arriving by small boats.
Unfortunately, the plans have encountered a significant obstacle as an internal evaluation by the Home Office has labeled Turkey as “a country that does not fulfill the requirements of being considered ‘generally safe.'” This raises concerns about potential appeals to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which could potentially ruin the plan.
The review could potentially provide Sunak’s conservative colleagues with further justification to advocate for the UK’s departure from the ECHR and strengthen measures in the Rwanda bill that would allow the government to disregard court orders that go against its policies.
According to The Times, there are discussions about the possibility of creating a new treaty, similar to the one in Rwanda, that would protect political adversaries from persecution upon their return.
Certain authorities propose that repatriation to Turkey could be evaluated on an individual basis in order to safeguard those who are most vulnerable.
Turkey has been recognized as a significant country in the larger context of immigration due to its role as a bridge between the conflict-ridden Middle East and the rest of Europe.
The leader of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The area has also emerged as the central location for producing dinghies, which are utilized by individuals involved in illegal immigration to ferry migrants across the channel.
In August 2022, the United Kingdom and Turkey entered into an agreement to share intelligence, enhancing cooperation and enforcement efforts between the two countries in addressing the migrant crisis.
The new centre of excellence was set up by the Turkish National Police at the government’s behest. Its purpose is to facilitate the exchange of intelligence between the two countries, enabling prompt action by staff based on this information.
However, certain officials in the government desired to expand the agreement by negotiating a returns deal which would allow individuals who enter the UK through Turkey to be repatriated.
The latest data from the Home Office, released on Thursday, shows that 1,335 individuals migrated across the Channel in small boats during January. This marks a 13% rise from the previous year’s figures for the same month.
The Home Office spokesperson stated that dealing with illegal migration relies heavily on cooperation between countries. The UK and Turkey have a strong partnership and a forward-looking relationship. If someone does not have the legal right to be in the UK, the government will work to send them back to their home country. Protection claims are evaluated based on their specific circumstances in line with international commitments. No one will be sent back if they are at risk of persecution or serious harm.
Source: independent.co.uk
