India will now be added to the list of “safe states” by the UK government, which will expedite the process of repatriating individuals who have entered the country illegally. This means that any asylum claims made by Indian nationals who enter the country illegally through other routes or on small boats will be rejected. They’re going back, and there won’t be an appeal.
In a statement, the UK Home Office said that the government will add India and Georgia to the list of ‘safe states.’ It noted that the decision will mark another step in the delivery of the “Illegal Migration Act 2023” and its plans to stop the boats.
The UK Home Office in the statement said, “Draft legislation laid in Parliament today (Wednesday 8 November) will strengthen the immigration system and help prevent abuse, including by people making unfounded protection claims.”
Even though there isn’t a clear risk of persecution, the number of Indian and Georgian small boat arrivals has increased over the past year, according to a statement from the UK Home Office. “Deeming these countries safe will mean that if an individual arrives from either one illegally, we will not admit their claim to the UK asylum system,” the statement continued. According to the UK Home Office, the European Union, states that make up the European Economic Area, Albania, and Switzerland are among the other countries that the UK has determined to be safe. Suella Braverman, the UK’s home secretary, stated that it is imperative to prevent individuals from traveling from “fundamentally safe nations” to the UK on “dangerous and illegal journeys.”