British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised concerns on Saturday about the potential for a surge in asylum seekers that could strain parts of Europe's resources, urging for global reforms within
the asylum system to address this mounting challenge.
During a speech in Italy at a political gathering hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, Sunak expressed his firmest criticisms yet of the global asylum setup while aiming to revive his government's proposal to relocate refugees to Rwanda.
Warning of deliberate efforts by certain "enemies" to drive individuals towards European shores to destabilize societies, Sunak emphasized the urgent need to confront this issue. He cautioned that failure to address this problem would lead to a continuous rise in numbers, overwhelming countries and their ability to aid those in genuine need of assistance.
Asserting a necessity for potential legal updates and initiating international discussions to amend post-war asylum frameworks, Sunak emphasized the need for action, stating, "If that requires us to update our laws and lead an international conversation to amend the post-war frameworks around asylum, then we must do that."
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman had previously advocated for changes to the United Nations Refugee Convention, which mandates signatories to grant asylum to those fleeing persecution. This provision has posed significant legal obstacles to the British government's efforts to halt small boat crossings and redirect potential asylum-seekers to Rwanda for processing.
In a joint effort, Britain and Italy announced plans to collectively fund the return journey for migrants stranded in Tunisia. However, the exact financial commitment from both countries was not disclosed.
Additionally, Italy recently reached an agreement with Albania to establish migrant reception centers aimed at hosting individuals attempting to land ashore, with the aim of reducing the escalating numbers that nearly doubled over the past year.
Sunak faced a significant challenge to his leadership recently but managed to secure a parliamentary vote in favor of an emergency bill to revive the proposal to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda, successfully averting a rebellion from some lawmakers within his party. Photo by Prime Minister’s Office, Wikimedia commons.