Time to put people smugglers out of business for good
THE HOME Secretary has made reform of the UK’S broken asylum system a key Government priority, and last week, we reached a significant milestone on our way to reforming our broken asylum system.
The Nationality and Borders Bill will introduce significant reforms to tackle illegal immigration and last week it entered its first debate for Committee Stage in the House of Lords, taking us significantly closer to transforming the system into one that is fair and firm, that we can be proud of and that the British public has voted for.
As Sunday Express readers know, this is in much need of repair. The system is overwhelmed and has been exploited for too long. These new laws will close many of the loopholes that are exploited by illegal migrants. We will introduce action to verify the ages of asylum-seekers, including age assessments, due to the risks that can be caused by adults posing as children.
Last year we saw several tragic events in the Channel, which sent a clear reminder of how dangerous, unnecessary – and sadly sometimes fatal – these crossings can be. It’s a blunt reminder of the lengths these despicable people-smuggling gangs will go to, in order to line their pockets with cash at the expense of others.
Stopping illegal migration is not a choice, it’s a moral imperative.
So how do you actually stop small boats and illegal migration? You must break the business model of unscrupulous people-smugglers and make it impossible for those who arrive illegally to stay in the country. Only this will make the UK a less attractive place for illegal migrants, otherwise people will continue risking their lives.
That is exactly what our Nationality and Borders Bill will do.
It will slam the brakes on peoplesmugglers, introducing tougher sentences for them to reflect the seriousness of these crimes. They will face the fullest extent of the law as we introduce a maximum penalty of life behind bars for people-smuggling under the Bill. As part of our tougher stance on illegal immigration, we will also increase the maximum penalty for illegally entering the country or overstaying a visa to four years’ imprisonment, as well as four-year maximum penalties for those arriving in the UK unlawfully.
This will send a strong signal that we will not tolerate those who do not play by the rules.
The Bill will also end the merrygo-round of last-minute legal challenges that stop us removing those with no right to be in the country. This is through a new and expanded “one-stop” process to ensure that asylum, human rights claims, and any other protection matters are made and considered together, ahead of any appeal hearing.
This will speed up our asylum claims system so that we can properly separate the genuine asylum seekers from economic migrants quickly.
We will bring in faster processes to allow the rapid removal of those with no right to be here and we will also bring in a new power to impose visa penalties on countries that do not cooperate on the removal of their nationals who do not have a right to be in the UK.
We also expect our international partners to work with us to remove their nationals if they come here illegally, and will exert pressure on governments to make sure they do. Through our Bill, we will have the option to slow down or suspend visa processing, or impose an additional fee on applications for countries who do not cooperate with us on this.
This Bill is not about closing the door to people in need. The UK has a proud history of welcoming the most vulnerable from across the globe and that will not change.
WE WILL still offer protection through Government-backed safe, legal routes, resettling those in need and supporting victims of slavery in line with this country’s proud tradition.
For the first time in primary legislation the Nationality and Borders Bill will set out the circumstances in which confirmed victims will receive temporary leave to remain.
By bringing in these reforms we will break the business model of people-smugglers and make it impossible for those who arrive illegally to stay in the country. Only this will make the UK a less attractive place for illegal migrants, otherwise people will continue risking their lives.
The sooner the Bill is passed through Parliament, the sooner we can deliver the major change this country needs.
“This Bill is not about closing the door to people in need. The UK has a proud history of welcoming the most vulnerable