A new Future Governance Forum (FGF) report has called on the government to set up new ‘Asylum Management Centres’ in France to reduce dangerous small boat crossings across the Channel. Published ahead of next week’s UK-EU summit in London, FGF’s new report, ‘Asylum Management Centres – A new approach to reduce small boat crossings’ proposes the summit be used as an opportunity for the UK and France to ‘reset’ their approach to tackling small boat crossings.
The report proposes major changes that would restore control to the UK’s asylum application system:
- Establishing new ‘Asylum Management Centres’ in France, from which people can make applications for protection to the UK or France, and access voluntary return. This would allow the UK to differentiate between people who have a right to protection and those who do not.
- Negotiating one-for-one readmissions to France and other willing EU member states for those who continue to travel irregularly by small boat to the UK instead of applying via the new Asylum Management Centres.
‘Asylum Management Centres – A new approach to reduce small boat crossings’ is the first report in FGF’s ‘Future of Asylum’ project, which is seeking answers to how the UK can deliver an asylum system that works effectively, is consistent with international law and sustains public confidence.
Beth Gardiner-Smith, FGF Senior Policy Associate, said: “Setting up new ‘Asylum Management Centres’ in France would enable the government to restore control to the UK’s asylum system and cut the growing number of people attempting to come to the UK via dangerous Channel crossings in small boats.
“Currently, there is no way to apply for asylum if you’re outside the UK, leading thousands to take irregular and dangerous journeys by small boats instead. Asylum Management Centres, working alongside a future readmissions agreement, would provide the realistic deterrent and incentive needed to prevent people getting into boats.”
“In its final months in office, the Biden administration demonstrated that this approach could reduce irregular border crossings by some nationalities by over 90%, combining effective cooperation with Mexico on enforcement with a viable alternative for people in the form of legal entry programmes to the US. The UK-EU reset Summit is an opportunity to seek a similar approach to the Channel.”
Asylum Management Centres – A new approach to reduce small boat crossings was written by:
- Beth Gardiner-Smith, a FGF Senior Policy Associate and a non-resident fellow of the Migration Policy Institute. Beth was the founding CEO of the charity Safe Passage International, a European organisation which operated in Calais during the time of the Calais camp clearance and provides legal advice to children and adults seeking family reunion and access to protection in Europe. Beth has been a Political Advisor to Senior Labour politicians including then Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
- Emily Graham, a FGF Policy Associate who previously led Safe Passage International’s policy and public affairs work and comes from a background working in the voluntary sector on issues including social inclusion, protection and human rights.
