LONDON (AP) — The British government plans to give itself powers to turn asylum-seekers back at sea or send them abroad while their applications for protection are processed. Legislation introduced in Parliament on Tuesday could pave the way for migrants to be held outside the U.K., a highly contentious idea modeled on Australia’s island detention centers. If passed, the Nationality and Borders Bill would allow the U.K. to send asylum-seekers to a “safe third country” while their claims are considered. The measure is intended to deter migrants from making perilous journeys across the English Channel in small boats. No country has yet agreed to host U.K.-bound migrants.
