The British government is flirting with the limits of international law and taking it seriously. On Tuesday, it will introduce an anti-illegal immigration bill that would prohibit those arriving across the Channel from seeking asylum in Britain.
Three days before his first visit to France, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is determined to stop the rise in illegal Channel crossings, which continues despite successive plans by conservative governments and underlies regular tensions with Paris.
"This new law will make it clear that if you come to this country illegally, you will be quickly deported," Rishi Sunak told The Sun. "Those who came here in a small boat (crossing the Channel illegally) cannot ask for asylum here."