jenny kleenman and dr larny chen formerly policy director for mitt romney s presidential campaign. hello and welcome to the programme. just a week ago, 150 people ran into trouble in a small wooden boat off the coast of calabria in italy. on board were asylum seekers from afghanistan, somalia, iran. there were 20 children on board, including a newborn baby. 67 of them drowned. it s an appalling reminder of the risks involved. it is just as dangerous crossing the english channel. more than 16,000 made thatjourney in small boats last year, up from 300 in 2018. but how do you stop them? the new proposal set out by the british government today is heavy on deterrance. those who enter the uk illegally will be detained and removed to their home country or a third country like rwanda. they will be held for up to 28 days, without bail or court hearing, their claim for asylum automatically rejected and they will be banned from ever returning to the uk. and while this bill will not beco
The European Parliament is set to rubber stamp a new internal EU management system on asylum. Years in the making, the overhaul has been described as a game-changer by EU institutions determined to reach an agreement ahead of June's elections.
Official figures reveal that the EU received more than 1.14 million asylum applications in 2023, the highest number since 2016. Fears about migration may push voters toward far-right parties in the upcoming EU elections.