London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday called on the UK government to reconsider its plans to house asylum seekers on barges
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2023) London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday called on the UK government to reconsider its plans to house asylum seekers on barges.
On Monday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that London will allocate two additional barges at the Royal Docks to house hundreds of refugees who have illegally entered the country through the English Channel.
"These plans are abhorrent. They fly in the face of London's proud history of providing sanctuary to people seeking refuge. I'm concerned for the safety of vulnerable people forced to flee their homes. The Government must rethink and instead treat asylum seekers with humanity and dignity," Khan tweeted.
He also appealed to UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman to reject any plans to house migrants on the barges in London, the Evening Standard reported.
"Today I have written to the Home Secretary to outline my strong opposition to any proposals to use London as the location of barges to accommodate those seeking asylum in the UK," Khan was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
On Monday, Amnesty International UK Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh condemned housing migrants on barges, calling it a "terrible idea," The Telegraph reported. Deshmukh suggested that the UK government had resorted to a plan involving giant barges to distract public attention from the urgent need for a fair and effective assessment of asylum claims, which the government has still not done.
