British Home Secretary Suella Braverman will address the issue of illegal migration during her upcoming visit to the U.S., according to her office. In her keynote speech, Braverman will present a plan for combating the crisis and highlight the innovative approaches that Britain has taken. She emphasizes that the unsustainable pressures caused by illegal migration affect not only America and the UK but also Europe as a whole. Braverman questions the effectiveness of international conventions and legal frameworks that were established over 50 years ago in the context of today’s global mobility facilitated by jet travel and smartphones.
The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has made stopping the arrival of migrants in small boats across the English Channel a top priority. However, the UK government’s policies, such as sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, have not been successful. According to official data, there has been a 26% year-on-year increase in the number of people detected arriving by small boats in the 12 months leading up to June, with almost 45,000 individuals recorded.
The Biden administration is also grappling with high levels of migration, with over 142,000 migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border in the first half of September. In light of this, Braverman aims to establish closer collaboration with the U.S. in addressing illegal migration and organized immigration crime. She will engage in discussions with lawmakers and senior U.S. officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Braverman emphasizes the urgency of addressing the illegal migration crisis and stresses the potential consequences for democratic legitimacy if these challenges are not met. She will travel to Washington on Monday to engage in these crucial discussions.
Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Mike Harrison
