'Dark day' for UK as illegal migration bill passes parliament

The UK government’s notorious plans to render irregular arrival by boat to the shores of the British Isles are now set to become law after the House of Lords relented on key amendments to let the legislation pass on Tuesday. 

The new legislation, by closing all irregular means of reaching the mainland, will effectively render it impossible to claim asylum in the UK. 

According to the bill - a key tranche of Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” - asylum seekers will be compelled to make an asylum claim in the first safe country they arrive in rather than coming to the British Isles. 

Rights groups, activists and migrants have all expressed their outrage at the landmark new law, which was dubbed as "immoral", "performative cruelty" and a "dark day" for the UK. 

Even Former PM Theresa May told the UK Parliament the bill would “consign more people to slavery” after undoing “the good work of the modern slavery act” that was past under her tenure. 

It’s a dark day – Parliament has passed the Illegal Migration Bill, which destroys the right to seek asylum in the UK and the protection we give to people who have been trafficked, and vastly extends the Govt’s powers to detain migrants indefinitely & without judicial oversight.

— Good Law Project (@GoodLawProject) July 18, 2023

‘Contrary to international law’ 

UN rights chiefs have spoken out stridently against the new law, saying the bill "is at variance with the country's obligations under international human rights and refugee law and will have profound consequences for people in need of international protection".

In a joint statement by UN human rights chief Volker Turk and the UN refugees head Filippo Grandi, both men accused the bill of blocking access to asylum in Britain for anyone who arrives irregularly, having passed through a country - however briefly - where they did not face persecution.

🔴⚡️Our statement on the passing of the Illegal Migration Bill

"This Bill, modelled on some of the world’s most harmful migration policies, will lead to a medical and humanitarian disaster." Sophie McCann, Migration Advocacy Advisor pic.twitter.com/ETedEhqbWj

— MSF UK (@MSF_uk) July 18, 2023

"This new legislation significantly erodes the legal framework that has protected so many, exposing refugees to grave risks in breach of international law," Grandi said.

The 1951 Refugee Convention explicitly recognises that refugees may be compelled to enter a country of asylum irregularly, the pair noted.

"I urge the UK government to renew this commitment to human rights by reversing this law and ensuring that the rights of all migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers are respected, protected and fulfilled, without discrimination," Turk said.

‘Immoral and impractical’

Many analysts also believe the legislation is unlikely to work - either as a deterrent or a practical tool for removing people who do arrive across the channel. 

“It is impossible to implement, incredibly expensive and it will create a permanent asylum backlog,” said asylum legal expert Colin Yeo.

“Lots of asylum seekers will disappear into communities. But they’ll still be here, just poor, homeless, vulnerable and exploitable. It’s a terrible piece of legislation,” he said. 

A depressing day we always knew would come, Braverman’s revolting ‘illegal migration’ bill is set to become law.

Her predecessor Priti Patel’s legislation was based on the same principles of hate. It has been all but dropped as it didn’t work. This one will be the same #r4today pic.twitter.com/rdOdJWFzhC

— Zoe Gardner (@ZoeJardiniere) July 18, 2023

Some experts believe that the legislation will even boost the profits of criminal gangs who engage in people smuggling. 

“Why do I say criminal gangs are the only ones who will celebrate the passage of Braverman’s ‘illegal migration’ bill?” asked lawyer and campaigner Zoe Gardner. 

“Because it empowers them while taking away all legal protections from their victims… You say to the traffickers, we won’t help these people - have at them,” she said.

“People fleeing war and persecution do not have the luxury of waiting around for a visa,” said HRW director Kenneth Roth.