Racism warning over hostile policies
IMMIGRATION: Many of the ‘ hostile environment policies’ aimed at persuading immigrants to leave are still in place, a leading think- tank has found.
The IPPR has called for “fundamental reform” at the Home Office after a major review of the policies, which it said fostered racist practices across society.
MANY OF the ‘ hostile environment policies’ aimed at persuading people living in the UK without immigration status to leave – and which also led to the Windrush Scandal – are still in place, a leading think- tank has found.
The IPPR has called for “fundamental reform” at the Home Office after a major review of the policies, which it said fostered racist practices across society – not just by immigration officials.
The new report said the approach to immigration enforcement had failed to achieve its own stated objectives, while also inflicting undue suffering and having what its authors call “poisonous impacts” on society.
The cluster of policies are intended to encourage people living in the UK without immigration status to leave voluntarily by making it harder for them to get jobs, rent property, open bank accounts, and access welfare and other vital public services.
However, the analysis revealed that the number of voluntary returns which were independent of Home Office involvement had fallen considerably since 2014, when most of the policies were introduced. Around 12,000 more people without immigration status were independently leaving the UK on a voluntary basis in 2012 than they were in 2018.
It also argued that by pushing people into poverty, the polices have facilitated discrimination against minority ethic groups, erroneously impacted those with legal status and risked public health and safety.
The policies had “penetrated right across society” and fostered racist practices by requiring ordinary, untrained citizens, such as employers, landlords, hospital workers and many other frontline workers, to police the measures and share information with
the Home Office. The IPPR has accused the Home Office of “policy paralysis” – being in principle committed to the objectives of the hostile environment approach, but increasingly uncomfortable about its practical implications.
Researchers worked with Leeds- based charity PAFRAS, which works with destitute refugees and asylum seekers, to speak to people with direct experience of hostile environment policies.
IPPR North Researcher and the report’s lead author, Amreen Qureshi, said the hostile environment policy “doesn’t work for the Home Office, it doesn’t work for people without immigration status, and it doesn’t work for our society”.
“Yet this policy continues to be implemented at the cost of human rights, human dignity and human life,” she said. “Deep reform is called for, and this should start at the Home Office.”