“Measures will be brought forward to establish a fairer
immigration system that strengthens the United Kingdom’s borders
and deters criminals who facilitate dangerous and illegal
journeys.”
The purpose of the Bill is to:
-
● Support the delivery of our New Plan for Immigration which
will increase the fairness and efficacy of our system so that
we can better protect and support those in genuine need of
asylum.
-
● Deter illegal entry into the UK, breaking the business
model of criminal trafficking networks and protecting the
lives of those they endanger.
-
● Enable those with no right to be here to be removed more
easily from the UK.
The main benefits of the Bill would be:
-
● Delivering the most significant overhaul of our asylum
system in decades - a new, comprehensive, fair but firm
long-term plan.
-
● Continuing our proud record of helping those facing
persecution, oppression and tyranny.
-
● Taking down the criminal networks responsible for trading
in human misery, putting lives in danger, and smuggling
vulnerable people, as well as reducing the numbers of people
entering the UK illegally.
-
● Increasing the removal of those with no right to remain in
the UK, including foreign national offenders.
The main elements of the Bill are:
-
● Ensuring our system does not reward those who enter the UK
illegally and that those who have travelled through a safe
country where they could have reasonably claimed asylum, such
as France or Belgium, will not be admitted into the UK asylum
system.
-
● Ensuring that for the first time, whether people enter the
UK legally or illegally, will have an impact on how their
asylum claim progresses, and on their status in the UK if
that claim is successful.
-
● Creating a new and expanded ‘one-stop’ process to ensure
that asylum, human 91
rights claims and any other protection claims are made and
considered upfront at the very start of the process, ending the
cycle of limitless appeals.
-
● Ending the use of hotels and moving towards reception
centres for asylum seekers so they have simple, safe and
secure accommodation to stay in while their claims are
processed.
-
● Correcting historical anomalies in British Nationality law
which have long prevented individuals from gaining British
citizenship or registering for citizenship, through no fault
of their own.
Territorial extent and application
● The provisions in the Bill will extend and apply to the whole
of the UK.
Key facts
-
● In 2019 UK asylum applications increased by 21 per cent on
the previous year to almost 36,000 – the highest number since
the 2015-16 European ’migration crisis’.
-
● In 2019 there were just over 32,400 attempts to enter the
UK clandestinely prevented at the juxtaposed controls located
in France; and over 16,000 detected illegal arrivals to the
UK.
-
● In 2019 around 62 per cent of asylum claimants to the UK
had entered the country illegally (40 per cent clandestinely,
22 per cent without relevant documentation) with the
remainder largely thought to have arrived regularly (on a
visa before subsequently applying for asylum).
-
● The asylum system is costing the taxpayer over £1 billion a
year.
-
● By the end of 2020, 52,000 asylum claims were awaiting an
initial decision, with
109,000 cases in the system overall.
-
● returns
-
● The new Hong Kong BN(O) Visa:
o Those with British National (Overseas) status in Hong Kong
and their
92
In 2019,
from the UK decreased to just over 7,000 (7,192), 22 per cent
lower than the previous year, continuing a downward trend since
2013.
o On 31 January 2021, the UK launched a new, bespoke immigration
route
for British National (Overseas) status holders and their
immediate family
members.
eligible family members are able to come to the UK to live, study
and work
in virtually any capacity, on a pathway to citizenship. After
five years in the
UK, they and their family members will be able to apply for
settlement,
followed by citizenship after a further twelve months.
o The route is already a success with approximately 27,000
applications
received as of 19 March 2021.
o Our central estimates of those who will take up this offer
range between
123,000 and 153,700 people coming in the first year and between
258,000
and 322,400 over five years.
