The UN accuses the UK Prime Minister of restricting asylum options for refugees.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), many people are expected to be prevented from applying for asylum in the UK under the new strategy the country has adopted to combat illegal immigration.

Tuesday saw the release of a new strategy by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for dealing with the influx of unauthorized immigrants coming to the country by boat over the English Channel.

The UNHCR stated the strategy basically justified the blanket rejection of asylum applications from applicants arriving from nations or by routes not regarded “safe” by London after assessing a number of its components.

“The announced proposal to first detain, and then either return asylum-seekers to their home countries or transfer them to a third country would amount to a denial of access to the UK asylum system for those who arrive irregularly.

“That approach would close down access to asylum in the UK for all but a few,” UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs said in a statement on Tuesday.

In late November, the media reported that just 8,000 of the 52,294 asylum seekers who entered the UK had received a decision on their applications, while the remaining 44,700 had not received a response.