How are Migrants, Especially Male Asylum Seekers, Deterred from Safe Journeys and Lawful Entry into the UK through Carrier Sanctions?

Abstract

Carrier sanctions oblige commercial entities to check the validity of passengers’ documents and deny boarding where no valid documents are shown, or where fraud is suspected. The necessity to flee to safer countries at a time of particular political unrest has necessitated the use of fraudulent documents, which the sanction regime and subsequent case law have attempted to curtail. However, increased investigation into legitimacy of travel documents has induced the taking of dangerous routes to reach Britain. In particular, danger is posed by oncoming traffic, and where entry is attempted clandestinely, within lorries. Men, accounting for the majority of irregular entrants, are more likely to experience danger. Due to the very nature of their precarious position, potential asylum seekers may not hold travel documents, which induce the taking of dangerous routes to make asylum applications once in Britain. This chapter will attempts to link carrier sanctions, danger, and humanitarian obligations.

Citation

Wegera, A. (2021), "How are Migrants, Especially Male Asylum Seekers, Deterred from Safe Journeys and Lawful Entry into the UK through Carrier Sanctions?", Sarat, A. and Prabhat, D. (Ed.) Privatisation of Migration Control: Power without Accountability? (Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol. 86B), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 7-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1059-43372021000086B002