Small boats bill ‘could lead to more dangerous routes and increase trafficking’

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The government’s new small boats bill could lead to asylum seekers taking “more dangerous routes” to the UK, benefit people smugglers and worsen trafficking, a parliamentary report has found. “The committee found that this would breach numerous legal obligations under the Refugee Convention, which guarantees the rights of refugees irrespective of how they arrived in the country, and would see the UK fail to play its part in the global system of refugee protection.” Theresa May says small boats bill 'shuts door' to genuine victims The government has not yet published an official assessment of the bill, which has already been approved by the House of Commons and is being considered by the Lords. Government minister Lord Bellamy said people can only be deported to countries where Britain has struck “an agreement to take them back”, adding: “That is not at present the case, except in relation to Rwanda, but it may in future be the case in relation to other countries.” The Joint Committee on Human Rights said the majority of experts who provided evidence to its inquiry believed the bill would fail to achieve Rishi Sunak’s stated aim of “stopping the boats”. “We are concerned that the modern slavery provisions of the bill not only breach the UK’s legal obligations towards victims, but may also result in the increase in trafficking and slavery.” Rishi Sunak has claimed the bill will achieve his aim of ‘stopping the boats’ Duncan Capps The bill would bar trafficking victims who arrive irregularly from receiving support and allow them to be deported while officials are still investigating potential abuse.