The U.K. government is considering a proposal to expel migrants who arrive in the country by boat and ban them from the country for life.
Under the proposed legislation, so-called "channel migrants" would be sent to Rwanda or another third country, and would be barred from entering the U.K. in the future or applying for citizenship.
45,756 migrants arrived in the U.K. by boat last year, the highest number since records started in 2018.
Nearly 3,000 migrants originating from Albania, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, among other countries, have arrived in the U.K. by boat so far this year.
An earlier proposal to send migrants to Rwanda, regardless of where they are from, was put on hold following criticism from the opposition Labour Party and the Liberal Democratic Party, as well as human rights groups.
The British government said once it secures the country's borders, it plans to offer more alternatives for migrants who want to apply for asylum before traveling to the country.
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Currently, migrants seeking asylum in the U.K. have the right to seek protection under the UN's Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.
The proposed legislation could allow the British government to circumvent the protections granted to asylum-seekers by these treaties.
