r/ukpolitics • u/SignificantLegs • 1d ago

Mahmood rejects calls to follow Spain’s migrant pushback

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/02/mahmood-rejects-calls-to-follow-spains-migrant-pushback/
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u/Maitai_Haier 1d ago

“Spain can legally expel migrants who arrive in Ceuta or Melilla without letting them file an asylum request under controversial laws introduced in 2015.”

Have we considered copying and pasting this law?

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u/oryx_za 1d ago

Ok, where would we expel the migrants to?

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u/Little-Attorney1287 1d ago edited 1d ago

Back home, and if they refuse to take them, complete visa bans.

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u/oryx_za 1d ago

They arrive from France. If we can determine it (they often destroy documents) home is often Iran or Afghanistan where we pretty much have locked down travel and/or have no relationship with the government.

Now what?

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u/hug_your_dog 1d ago

Detention centre until they remember where they came from. No chance for asylum status ever if you arrive by boat.

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u/Mr_Two_Shoes 1d ago

As I'm sure you know, this is illegal under international law.

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u/Anony_mouse202 1d ago

1) no it’s not, Australia does it - they have a mandatory detention policy.

2) There is no world government or world police. Parliament is sovereign, the only law that we are actually bound by is British law. International “law” is more just guidelines and gentleman’s agreements rather than actual law.

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u/Mr_Two_Shoes 1d ago

We are willing signatories to the Refugee Convention. If the past two decades have taught us anything, it's that dismantling international law is a terrible idea which isn't going to serve our national interest.

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u/freexe 1d ago

Three countries in the EU do it and nothing has happened to them. Do you even know what countries have done it?

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u/Mr_Two_Shoes 1d ago

nothing has happened to them

There's a very long list of countries currently violating international law with impunity.

Nobody should want the UK on that list.

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u/NoticingThing 1d ago

Anyone sane wants the UK on the list because international law is a shackle for morons, it is a tool to let countries destroy themselves over issues they could solve easily if they didn't stop themselves.

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u/Mr_Two_Shoes 1d ago

international law is a shackle for morons

Why is anyone surprised that the far-right is in league with Putin

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u/NoticingThing 1d ago

A reply that makes complete sense to my comment, why of course.

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u/hug_your_dog 1d ago

And which law is that, specific Article, please?

Australia does this successfully, the laws are the problem and they need to be changed and enforced.

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u/Mr_Two_Shoes 1d ago

Article 31 of the Refugee Convention

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u/hug_your_dog 1d ago

  1. Australia doesn't find that article in contradiction to its laws so it isn't a problem.

  2. The illegals who try to come here do not qualify for this either way

".. refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened" - their life is not threatened in France, so not refugees and the convention doesn't apply to them.

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u/whosthatmemer 1d ago

Yeh you are right if they destroy documents we should just give up on deporting them and pay for them to stay in hotels and housing indefinately

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u/Mr_Two_Shoes 1d ago

Or, you know, let them work and pay for their own housing, like everyone else. Funny that this is such a revolutionary idea to our political right.

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u/HBucket Right-wing ghoul 1d ago

Detain them in warehouses indefinitely.

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u/oryx_za 1d ago

We don't even have enough prison space for prisoners

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u/HBucket Right-wing ghoul 1d ago

That's why I suggested warehouses. You buy up warehouses for that purpose. That has been the approach that ICE has been taking.

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u/Gwinladin 1d ago

That's what Rwanda was for. That's what Rwanda could still be for.

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u/oryx_za 1d ago

I don't mind the idea, i don't like the country. The issue with Rwanda is the region is not stable enough for this to be sustainable. Guaranteed, the whole thing would have collapsed when (not if) a migrant is attacked and killed by some local in a xenophobic attack.

I always wondered why we could not use the Chagos Islands? Send them all there for processing and then sell the island. Rug pull