Current Affairs Digest
The government describes the Illegal Migration Bill as seeking to “prevent and deter unlawful migration”. The bill has proven controversial, with various organisations raising concerns about the bill’s impact on UK legal obligations under international law. This article draws together commentary on the bill’s interaction with international law, as well as presenting the government’s position on the issues.
Current Affairs Digest
In May 2023, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was re-elected president of Turkey, continuing his 20-year governance over the country. This article examines some of the questions arising from the election, including on Turkey’s economic direction and the country’s ongoing relationships with Russia and NATO.
Research Briefing
The Illegal Migration Bill seeks to fulfil the commitments made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 4 January 2023 to “stop the boats and tackle the unfairness of illegal migration”. Provisions in the Illegal Migration Bill would introduce a duty on the home secretary to remove all adults entering the UK illegally (as defined in clause 2) after 7 March 2023. It would also introduce powers to detain those individuals prior to removal. The bill provides the secretary of state with greater powers to decide the place and duration of an individual’s detention. In addition to the duty to remove adults, the bill contains a power to remove those under 18 years of age; this would become a duty upon the child reaching 18. It would disapply aspects of modern slavery protections and provide that asylum and human rights claims by those subject to clause 2 were inadmissible. Immigration is a reserved matter, most of the bill’s provisions would apply in all four parts of the UK.
In Focus
The Israel-Palestine conflict has seen increased violence in 2023. Despite a joint Israeli-Palestinian commitment announced on 26 February 2023 to work towards ending the violence, concerns have been raised about the feasibility of the commitment. This article looks at recent developments in the region and statements, including from the UK and international community, focused on ending the conflict.
Current Affairs Digest
This article examines the aftermath of the presidential election in Brazil, which took place in October 2022. This includes consideration of the future direction of the country, following what some have described as an “attempted coup” by supporters of the former president, Jair Bolsonaro, in January 2023.
Research Briefing
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 6 February 2023. The bill would automatically revoke, or ‘sunset’, most retained EU law at the end of 2023. However it would also give ministers powers to exempt some retained EU law from the sunset and to restate, reproduce, replace or update retained EU law by statutory instrument.
In Focus
The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Rwanda to establish an asylum transfer scheme. Unlike treaties, MoUs are not required to be laid before Parliament prior to being ratified. In October 2022, the House of Lords International Agreements Committee published a report which criticised the government for using an MoU for the agreement. The subject is due to be debated in the House of Lords on 6 February 2023.
In Focus
Friday 27 January 2023 is International Holocaust Memorial Day, marking the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland on the same day in 1945. On this annual day of commemoration, the United Nations urges every member state to honour the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism, and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.
Research Briefing
The Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill is a government bill that is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 9 January 2023. The bill would implement the government procurement chapters of the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand free trade agreements in UK domestic law.
In Focus
Armed conflict affects many aspects of life. As well as the humanitarian toll it takes, conflicts often involve damage to and the destruction of cultural heritage as well as the looting of artefacts. This article looks at how cultural heritage has been deliberately targeted in recent conflicts, considers what international protections exist and discusses if they are fit for purpose.
In Focus
In 2021, the government said that “as a force for good in the world” the UK would remain “sensitive to the plight of refugees and asylum-seekers”. It stated it had a “proud track record” of protecting those who need it, in accordance with its international obligations. However, the government has also spoken of the need to reform the “broken” asylum system. In 2022 it introduced new measures to implement changes.
In Focus
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was a landmark convention setting out rules relating to the world’s oceans and seas. The convention covers issues including territorial limits, resources and protection of the marine environment. In March 2022 the House of Lords International Affairs and Defence Committee published a report examining whether the convention was still fit for purpose.
In Focus
COP27 is an international climate change conference held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It stands for ‘conference of the parties’ and is the 27th meeting of the parties to the UNFCCC. COP27 was scheduled to run from 6 to 18 November 2022, but it ran into the weekend. It was held in Sharm El-Sheikh under Egypt’s presidency of the COP.
In Focus
The six countries that together comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have long been criticised for their human rights records. The UK’s engagement with GCC members, whether bilaterally or collectively through recent trade negotiations, has drawn criticism as a result. Critics of continued engagement suggest it could risk the UK being seen to condone continuing human rights abuses, although the UK government maintains that it regularly raises human rights concerns with GCC partners.
In Focus
The UK assesses China as a priority country for tackling human rights issues. The UK believes there is compelling evidence of widespread and systematic abuses of the human rights of the Uyghur minority in China’s Xinjiang province. The House of Commons passed a resolution describing this as genocide, but the UK government’s position is that only the courts can make such a determination.
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