British Home Secretary Suella Braverman drew fierce criticism after she said of the Geneva Convention on Refugees that it was not “adapted to our times”, AFP and Agerpres reported on Wednesday.

The Geneva Convention, which dates back to 1951 and defines the status of a refugee, was “an incredible achievement for its time”, “but now we live in a completely different era”, assessed the British minister with a pronounced right-wing orientation in his speech. at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank based in Washington.

Noting that “at least 780 million people have a theoretical right to settle in another country” under the convention, she said, “Political leaders should ask whether the Refugee Convention applies and how it is interpreted by our courts. our modern times, or if it needs to be reformed.”

“We will not be able to support the asylum system if the mere fact that you are gay or a woman and you fear discrimination in your country of origin is enough to take advantage of the protection,” Braverman also said.

In response, the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, called the Geneva Convention “a cornerstone of the global refugee protection system and a life-saving tool” in a statement that “remains as relevant today as when it was adopted and sets an important foundation for solving problems related to the influx of refugees.

In the same statement, the agency suggests that London improve its asylum system.

For his part, in a message posted on Instagram, singer Elton John said he was “very concerned by (the minister’s) statements that discrimination against homosexuals and women should not be a sufficient reason” for refugee status.

“Ignoring the very real dangers that LGBTQ+ communities face risks further legitimizing hatred and violence against them,” he added in a statement also signed by his husband, David Furlong, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

“No person arriving in Britain by boat from France escapes imminent danger”

In his speech, the British minister also noted that the current situation, which he said is “absurd and intolerable”, allows migrants to “choose their preferred destination to seek asylum”. “No person arriving in the UK by boat from France is fleeing imminent danger,” she added.

The British government has made the fight against illegal immigration a priority, France Presse reminds. With a year to go before a Labor-favoured general election, the government continues to step up its rhetoric against migrants arriving in the UK illegally.

The Refugee Council also took a stand on Suella Braverman’s speech, saying the UK government should “address the real challenges facing the asylum system and ensure safe routes for people in need of protection” instead of attacking the Geneva Convention.

The Labor opposition also criticized Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, accusing her of “refusing to fix the mess the Conservatives made” on asylum and trying to “blame someone else”, citing the Geneva Convention.

The British government has promised to end the crossing of the English Channel from France by migrant boats. However, about 24,000 migrants have already crossed the border this year.

The law currently prevents migrants who have arrived in the UK illegally from applying for asylum and allows them to be deported to third countries such as Rwanda, a project currently blocked by the courts.