The British government is implementing new measures from Monday, December 30 to facilitate the deportation of foreign offenders, seeking to prevent them from misrepresenting themselves as victims of modern slavery.

Taking a hard line on the issue of immigration, the conservative government of Rishi Sunak is trying to resolve the saturation of its asylum system, which has been strained by the record arrivals of migrants through the English Channel, and the vulnerabilities in the system that can be exploited.

Until now, when a foreign offender claimed to be a victim of modern slavery, any deportation attempt was suspended until their case was examined, the British ministry explained in a press release.

The new measures now prevent those who have in the past made false declarations in this regard from benefiting from the protections preventing their deportation.

"Objective evidence"

As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last month when presenting his plan to combat illegal immigration, officers investigating cases will now have to consider "objective evidence of modern slavery" and not "mere suspicions".

“It is totally unfair that genuine victims of modern slavery have to wait a long time to receive the protection they need because of gross abuses of the system,” Interior Minister Suella Braverman said in a statement.

"The changes taking effect mean that if you have committed an offense we have the power to refuse to protect you and remove you from our country," she added.

The Home Office cites the example of a man convicted of rape, who challenged the deportation proceedings against him claiming to be a victim of modern slavery and was left free in the meantime, period during which he committed another rape and is still on British soil.

The measures which come into effect on Monday concern foreigners sentenced to any sentence of 12 months in prison or more, or who have been convicted of serious crimes or offenses such as murder, terrorism or a sexual offence, or posing a risk to national security.

With AFP

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