Amnesty International condemns the move of UK Conservative MPs seeking to deport Albanian asylum-seekers
LONDON: Controversy is brewing in the UK after Amnesty International condemned a group of Tory MPs who called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to return Albanian asylum seekers, including those who claim they are human traffickers.
The UK has seen a significant increase in the number of Albanians arriving in the country over the past 12 months, with many crossing the Channel on small boats claiming to be trafficked in modern-day slaves.
A group of more than 50 politicians said measures to speed up deportations of Albanians were needed to prevent migrants from traveling through what they said was a safe country and reduce backlogs.
In a letter to Sunak, MPs said: “If they (asylum seekers) are actually taken (to the UK) against their will, they cannot reasonably object to being sent back” at home. “The provisions of the modern slavery laws which prevent this are clearly contrary to the purpose of the law and should be repealed.”
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MP David Davis, one of the signatories, told Sky News: “The Home Office itself doesn’t understand the asylum law very well. It’s about changing the deadline for an Albanian to arrive on our shores from the year to days or weeks. “That is the goal and we believe it is possible. If we do not do it, the Home Office will not be able to support the number of requests. There are already 420 days to get a decision. It will take longer and longer.
He added that the fear of being persecuted by people smugglers and criminals should not allow people to seek asylum. I don’t consider Albanian goats. What I want to do is fill those gaps,” he said. Steve Valdez-Symonds, head of Amnesty International’s UK program on refugee and migrant rights, criticized Davis, telling the Guardian: “There seems to be a lot of nonsense here.
“The starting point is whether your government is unwilling or unable to provide protection from persecution. It does not define who should be your persecutors.
“It could be organized crime or a blood feud. They may also be women who have been oppressed by their families. The question is whether the state is able and willing to provide the protection it should provide under international law.”
