Building a robust immigration system

Building a robust immigration system

Press Release Number Ten Downing Street
12th April 2002

New legislation has been published that aims to build confidence in the nationality, immigration and asylum system. This includes increasing the penalty for facilitating illegal entry into the UK from 10 to 14 years.

It would improve the security of UK immigration controls, crack down on those who try to abuse them, and build the confidence necessary to head off threats to good race relations and strong social cohesion.

The Bill contains measures which would:

create a new, well-managed, end-to-end system of induction, accommodation, reporting and removal centres. It will require asylum seekers to report regularly and meet stringent residence conditions or face losing support altogether;
crack down on illegal working by introducing new powers for immigration officers to enter businesses to search for illegal immigrants as part of our crackdown on the sub economy. The Government will also make it easier for employers to comply with the law's demand on illegal working;
take forward the new citizenship agenda, so that those who are granted British nationality learn our languages and have knowledge of our society;
introduce a new 'right to carry' scheme, where carriers such as airlines would have to obtain clearance for passengers at the point of departure;
tackle human trafficking by closing loopholes that allow foreign nationals or people from the EU to be brought in or out of the UK for sexual exploitation.

The Bill takes forward the plans to reform the entire asylum and immigration system set out in the recent White Paper, Secure Borders Safe Haven.

Home Secretary David Blunkett said:

"Our asylum process must be efficient, fast and trusted by the British people. This is not about creating 'fortress Britain'. We are an open, trading nation, and we will continue to meet our obligations, along with the rest of the international community, to provide a safe haven to people fleeing persecution. But we will not be seen as a soft touch."

"I am equally determined that would-be illegal immigrants get the message that we are tightening our rules and deploying every possible measure to deter and to detect them."

The Home Secretary also said that he would bring forward further amendments to the Bill, to tackle the problem of 'benefit shopping'.

This is a new problem involving people who come to the UK and claim support from local authorities when they have already been granted refugee status or leave to remain in other European Economic Area states.

These people usually fail the Habitual Residence Test, which prevents people claiming social security benefits unless they have been resident in the UK for three months, but they then turn to local authorities for assistance.

Powers will be taken to stop this happening and guidance issued to local authorities to ensure that the law is applied consistently.

Source: http://www.number-10.gov.uk/