Carlisle CRAG group calls small boats legislation 'unworkable'

New legislation which will be outlined on Tuesday (March 7) will see migrants who have crossed the channel are removed from the UK and banned from future re-entry.

The plans, to be outlined by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, will also see anyone arriving in small boats to be deemed inadmissible from applying for British citizenship in the future.

A spokesperson from Carlisle's Refugee Action Group said: "New plans by the government to punish internationally recognised and protected asylum seekers for exercising their Human Rights to seek sanctuary from war and torture is another step in a failed and cruel policy repeatedly shown to be unworkable, irresponsibly expensive and often illegal over the last 10 years or so. 

READ MORE: Protest march against asylum policy meets counter-protest in Carlisle

"After pushing more and more desperate refugees including children into the arms of people smugglers by refusing to set up effective safe routes for those seeking refuge from war, torture and persecution, the government is now proposing to arrest them and deny future access to safety in our country.

"Plans like these are increasingly being recognised as breaking the Refugee Convention of 1951 and fuelling the kind of hostility we have seen being orchestrated by small groups in various parts of the country including in our own city," they said.

The announcement comes days after anti-refugee demonstrators held a protest in Carlisle, called 'Save Our Streets'.

Anti-refugee protestors meet the high police presence in Carlisle (Image: Newsquest)

Posters held by protestors read "Enough is enough," and "For the futures of our children and city, let's make a stand."

As the heavily-policed march moved, chants rising from the crowd were generally anti-refugee. There were expressions of bitterness and anger. For some, their rage was being driven by the cost-of-living crisis and what they appear to see as preferential treatment for refugees.

But the march was met by counter-protests including Anti-Racist Cumbria who sought to show solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers and welcome them to this country.

"CRAG calls on the government to listen to the cross-party and majority calls to put in place safe routes and an effective system to process asylum seekers," the group added.

"We also ask that they stop spreading misinformation that incites hate."