Border Force staff threaten legal action
A union representing Border Force staff said it will take legal action if its members are told to turn away boats carrying migrants to the UK.
The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said pressure was mounting to reverse plans to make Border Force staff stop boats reaching this country.
The union’s decision follows the drowning last week of 27 migrants as they attempted to cross the English channel.
The union said if Home Secretary Priti Patel refused to abandon the policy, it could launch judicial review proceedings in the coming weeks.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our Border Force members are aghast at the thought they will be forced to implement such a cruel and inhumane policy.
“Migrants who are trying to reach this country should be allowed to do so via safe routes so that their claims can be assessed here.
“If the government does not abandon this appalling approach, we will pursue all legal avenues including a judicial review. PCS will not rule out all forms of industrial action, including disrupting the implementation of the pushback policy if the home secretary insists on going ahead.”
More than 25,700 people have made the dangerous journey to the UK in small boats this year. The figure is three times the total for the whole of last year,
Yesterday, a crowd of around 150 protesters gathered near 10 Downing Street to voice anger over last week’s drownings.
Among those who died was Maryam Nuri Mohamed Amin, 24, a Kurdish woman from northern Iraq, said to be travelling to the UK to join her fiancé.