Immigration Solicitors

The UK is to oppose a proposal by the European Commission (EC) which would see EU members states forced to accept a fair proportion of migrants arriving from the Middle East and Africa on Italy’s shoreline.

The proposal is a response to the increasing number of migrants making the crossing from Libya and Egypt, seeking a better life in Europe. Many are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own countries.

The UK currently accepts 30,000-35,000 migrants annually – but may be asked to accept double that number under the proposal.

The UK has an option to refuse under its agreement with the EU – the Conservatives have pledged to reduce net migration and returning Home Secretary Theresa May last year supported the scaling back of search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean, when Operation Mare Nostrum was replaced with the scaled back Operation Triton.

The Home Office has said that any attempt to force the UK to take more migrants “would be resisted”.

The UK has supplied the Navy vessel HMS Bulwark to help with Operation Triton and has already rescued migrants off the coast of Libya.

Operation Triton – run by Frontex – was expected to mount search and rescue missions for up to 30 miles off the Italian coastline and not across the entire Mediterranean Sea.

Duncan Lewis Immigration Lawyers

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of Legal Aid immigration lawyers able to advise EU and non-EU migrants on all immigration matters, including:

• Asylum and asylum appeals
• British citizenship
• Entrepreneur visas
• Fast-track detention process
• Human Rights Act
• Illegal entry to the UK
• Marriage in the UK
• Right to work in the UK
• Spouse visas
• Student visas
• Visa overstays.

For expert legal advice on UK immigration law, call Duncan Lewis immigration lawyers on 020 7923 4020.