Thread by @stand_for_all

THREAD: However @ukhomeoffice spins it, the inevitable outcome of the #BordersBill is that it undermines the international refugee regime. Not only does it violate multiple international laws, it will benefit the very gangs it's claimed to be tackling and put lives at risk. 1

Creating a two tier system for refugees is a clear violation of Article 31 of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which prevents the refugees being penalised for their manner of entry into a country. 2/
unhcr.org/uk/3b66c2aa10

The government has tried to claim that it doesn't apply due to asylum seekers coming from France. There are so many issues with this that it is hard to start, but let's run through a couple of the big ones. 3/

Firstly that "directly" doesn't, for obvious reasons, mean not crossing other countries. While "directly" has been a source of contention in the law, it is recognised that refugees can transit multiple countries in order to seek asylum. 4/
refworld.org/pdfid/59ad55c2…

Then there is the claim that asylum seekers should seek asylum in the first "safe country". Here's the thing though, the concept of "first safe country" does not exist anywhere in law. It's a myth made up to avoid taking asylum seekers. 5/

Indeed, it has been found that while refugees do not have complete discretion over which country will process applications, there is "no obligation under international law for a person to seek international protection at the first effective opportunity" 6/
refworld.org/docid/3fe9981e…

Safety is inherently subjective, and the two main reasons given by asylum seekers for coming to the UK are family ties and language, two crucial elements to our independent concept of safety, particularly when you have had to leave everyone and everything you know behind. 7/

Then there is the not so minor matter that there are good reasons why some, and worth highlighting that we are talking relatively small number in the grand scheme, asylum seekers don't feel safe in France. The abuses against them are well catalogued. 8/
hrw.org/news/2021/10/0…

So, the #BordersBill automatically places the UK in contravention of one of the most important features of international refugee law, that a refugee must not be penalised for their manner of entry, something which UNHCR has condemned the government for. 9/
unhcr.org/uk/uk-immigrat…

Not only that, the bill would restrict the right of family reunion for those found to have entered the UK by anything other than the government's limited, and predominantly paused for now, resettlement routes, in contravention of refugee principles. 10/
unhcr.org/uk/excom/excon…

While the government likes to bang on about how more men than women cross the channel, these plans would further deny women and children with the ability to seek safety in the UK, as well as continuing to leave unaccompanied children at further risk. 11/
theguardian.com/politics/2022/…

Next up we have how measures in the bill, and other proposals by the government such as "pushbacks", will pose a significant risk of the UK not only violating international refugee law, but also the law of the sea. 12/
independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…

Then we have the whole issue of how the bill treats the victims of trafficking and modern slavery. Not only would it not combat gangs, it has been found to potentially make it harder for survivors to come forward. 13/
committees.parliament.uk/committee/93/h…

Changes to age assessments then add to the risks, by potentially implementing provenly inaccurate "scientific age assessments" and reducing the threshold at which assessments can be conducted, which could see even more children treated as adults. 14/
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidenc…

While under current regulations the Home Secretary can already remove citizenship from individuals, the bill expands the power by removing the need to notify them, among other things further undermining the ability to appeal the decision. 15/
stylist.co.uk/news/clause-9-…

All of this is just a quick snapshot of some of the issues, and by no means all. As the Bill enters its committee stage in the @UKHouseofLords it is clear that it poses fundamental risks to international refugee law, human rights, child protection, law of the sea etc etc. 16/

The Borders Bill, also referred to as the #AntiRefugeeBill, is the most significant attack against refugee rights for years. It undermines the international refugee order and any pretence of the UK being a moral arbiter on the global stage. It must not be allowed to pass. 17/