The United Kingdom has warned illegal immigrants who refuse to get housed at the Bibby Stockholm barge that it will cancel their government support if they do not comply, media reported on Tuesday, citing a letter received by an asylum seeker from the Home Office.
"If you do not travel tomorrow, on 8 August 2023, arrangements for ceasing the support that you are receiving from the Home Office may commence," the alleged letter, obtained by media, reads, stressing that accommodation is being offered on a "no-choice basis."
Meanwhile, the UK government has also announced a new task force to crack down on lawyers who help migrants to game the country’s immigration system.
"We are stepping up action to support regulatory action and prosecution of unscrupulous lawyers, with a new dedicated taskforce and tougher sentences," the government said in a statement.
Illegal migration has been a pressing issue for the UK for years and only intensified after the country left the European Union in 2020. In April 2022, the UK and Rwanda signed a migration agreement, stipulating that people recognized by the UK government as illegal migrants or asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda for the processing of their documents, obtaining asylum and relocation.