Securing Our Borders
and Tackling Illegal Immigration
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● The UK has a proud history of supporting those in
need of protection and our resettlement programmes have
provided safe and legal routes for hundreds of thousands of
people across the globe.
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● Our response to the war in Ukraine, the conflict in
Afghanistan, and the situation in Hong Kong have shown the
world-leading role we play in protecting the most vulnerable.
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● However we are facing a global migration crisis on an
unprecedented scale; there are currently 80 million displaced
people in the world, and people are dying attempting to cross
the Channel in unseaworthy boats. Urgent change is needed to
prevent evil people smugglers putting people’s lives at risk
and to fix the broken global asylum system.
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● The demands on the system, costs to the taxpayer and
flagrant abuses are increasing every day. This cannot
continue which is why we have brought forward the New Plan
for Immigration to begin the biggest overhaul of our asylum
system in decades.
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● Encompassing the Nationality and Borders Act, and new
agreements with partners globally (including the
world-leading Migration Partnership with Rwanda), this Plan
will secure our borders and tackle illegal migration.
The Nationality and Borders Act 2022
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● The Nationality and Borders Act – the legislative
framework for the New Plan for Immigration – became law at
the end of April.
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● It will deter illegal entry into the UK, break the
business model of people- smuggling networks, and speed up
the removal of those with no right to be in the UK.
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● It will ensure that those who arrive illegally in the
UK – who could have claimed asylum in another safe country –
can be considered as ‘inadmissible’ to the UK’s asylum
system.
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● These key reforms will operate alongside a range of
other new measures, to secure our borders and tackle illegal
migration, including:
o tougher penalties for people smugglers with a maximum sentence
of life imprisonment;
o increasing the maximum penalty for illegally entering the UK or
overstaying a visa to four years’ imprisonment;
o new measures to end the merry-go-round of legal challenges
which can be used to frustrate removal of those with no right to
be in the UK;
o cracking down on adults pretending to be children by
introducing scientific methods for age assessment; and
o new US-style Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme to slam the
door on criminals before they even get here.
Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda
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● The Home Secretary recently signed the Migration and
Economic Development partnership with Rwanda as part of bold
new plans to tackle illegal migration.
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● This will see migrants who make dangerous and illegal
journeys, such as by small boat or hidden in lorries, have
their asylum claim processed in Rwanda.
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● Those whose claims are accepted will then be
supported to build a new and prosperous life in one of the
fastest-growing economies, recognised globally for its record
on welcoming and integrating migrants.
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● Under this Partnership the UK is investing an initial
£120 million into the economic development and growth of
Rwanda.
Key Facts
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● The asylum system is costing the taxpayer £1.5
billion per annum, the highest amount in over two decades.
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● About 37,000 people are being housed in hotels – at a
total cost to the taxpayer, when including those on
resettlement schemes, of £4.7 million a day.
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● The Home Office currently accommodates 85,000 asylum
seekers, 55,000 in dispersed accommodation with 30,000
awaiting a move into dispersed accommodation.
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● Fewer than half of local authorities currently
participate in the asylum dispersal system, limiting the
amount of suitable accommodation available.
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● Since 2015 we have offered a place to over 185,000
men, women and children seeking refuge – more than any other
similar resettlement schemes in Europe.
