As the UK and France unveil new joint measures to deter small boat crossings, Flora Alexander, Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee UK, said,
“This agreement marks yet another step in the wrong direction – doubling down on deterrence rather than offering meaningful protection. Evidence shows that these policies don’t stop people from seeking safety – they simply force them into more perilous journeys, putting lives at risk.
Proposals such as a ‘one-in, one-out’ scheme risk undermining the right to seek asylum, a core principle of international law. They ignore the root causes of why people cross borders in the first place – to escape conflict, persecution and crisis. Border security must not come at the expense of human rights or the UK’s moral and legal obligations.”