UK Immigration Control Bill Faces Neutering as Lawmakers Challenge Key Provisions

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border F
Gareth Fuller/PA Images via Getty Images
Peter Caddle

UK parliamentarians are reportedly looking at various ways to weaken a government bill aimed at ending the ongoing English Channel migrant crisis.

Officials in both the UK’s House of Commons and unelected House of Lords are reportedly not keen about a new government bill aimed at finally ending the English Channel migrant crisis, with lawmakers serving in both bodies now reportedly looking at ways of tweaking the proposed law.

As proposed right now, the government’s Illegal Migration Bill will effectively ban those arriving in the UK clandestinely from claiming asylum in the country while also making it so that the country’s Home Secretary has a legal obligation to see such illegals detained and deported.

However, according to a report by The Telegraph, many politicians within the government’s own Conservative Party are unhappy with the bill, and want to see elements of it either removed or weakened.

A particular flashpoint appears to be that of mandatory deportations, with a number of Tories wanting to keep protections for illegal migrants in place so long as they make a claim in relation to modern-day slavery.

“The flashpoints are going to be on modern slavery – whether or not there will be concerns about this legislation in effect overriding modern-day slavery law,” one source said.

Other elements certain politicians want changed include increasing the availability of safe and legal immigration routes into the UK foe would-be asylum seekers, as well as measures allowing asylum seekers within the system to work in the UK economy legally.

Reports that many Tories want to see the anti-mass migration bill watered down is perhaps not surprising considering the party’s recent history, with the UK government frequently putting forward massive bills aimed at completely reworking some aspect of the country before they fall flat on their face.

The desire of some officials to see protections under the country’s modern slavery rules persist for illegal migrants, in particular, seems to pose the most danger to the bill, with many coming to Britain in small boats already known to be abusing these protections to avoid deportation.

Migrants from the Islamic-majority nation of Albania in particular are thought to be “gaming the system” by claiming they are victims of modern slavery, a “huge loophole” which allows them to stay in the country.

As of 2020, Albanians represented the single largest foreign group in UK prisons, with the country having a particular problem regarding organised criminal gangs mostly made up of migrants originating from the Eastern European nation.

To make matters worse for the UK government, the modern slavery issue is far from the only obstacle their new immigration bill is facing, with many alleging that the new measures will violate rules set out by the European Convention on Human Rights.

Although it is conceivably within the UK’s power to simply ignore the ECHR and its courts, it appears highly unlikely that this will occur before a general election, with arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage going so far as to accuse the current administration of cynical politicking.

“When UK legislation is inevitably overruled by foreign judges in Strasbourg, Tories will fight the next election on leaving ECHR,” he argued, saying that the bill currently stands no chance of actually ending the ongoing migrant crisis.

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