Why are migrants in small boats a heated issue in the UK?

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A new British law that aims to bar people from seeking asylum if they arrive in the U.K. in small boats is the latest in a long line of efforts to control unauthorized migration. From agreements with France to a deal to send asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda, all those efforts have faced practical, ethical and legal issues. Meanwhile, the number of people crossing the English Channel has grown from 300 in 2018 to 45,000 last year. The U.K. hopes the Illegal Migration Bill will succeed where other measures have failed. But the U.K. government acknowledges the bill may breach Britain’s human rights commitments, and says it expects legal challenges.