UK Home Secretary statement on the Illegal Immigration Bill

Title suggestion: "UK Government Introduces Illegal Migration Bill to Stop Small Boat Arrivals and Fulfill Promise of Swift Removal"

1. The UK government has introduced the Illegal Migration Bill to fulfil its promise of detaining and swiftly removing anyone who enters the country illegally.

2. The small boats problem is part of a larger global migration crisis, and the UK, along with other developed countries, will face unprecedented pressures from ever greater numbers of people leaving the developing world for places like the UK.

3. Since 2018, around 85,000 people have illegally entered the UK by small boat, with 45,000 of them doing so in 2022 alone. Most of these people are adult males under the age of 40 who are rich enough to pay criminal gangs thousands of pounds for passage.

4. The Illegal Migration Bill enables the detention of illegal arrivals without bail or judicial review within the first 28 days of detention until they can be removed. It also puts a duty on the Home Secretary to remove illegal entrants and radically narrows the number of challenges and appeals that can suspend removal.

5. The bill disqualifies illegal entrants from using Modern slavery rules to prevent removal and introduces an annual cap, to be determined by Parliament, on the number of refugees the UK will resettle via safe and legal routes.

With the Illegal Migration Bill, the UK government seeks to fulfil its promise of detaining and swiftly removing anyone who enters the country illegally. This promise was made by the Prime Minister two months ago, and the bill aims to stop the boats that bring tens of thousands of people to the UK in breach of laws and the will of the British people. However, the government also recognizes the need to support vulnerable populations and has given sanctuary to nearly half a million people through family resettlement and safe and legal routes.

The small boats problem is part of a larger global migration crisis, and the UK, along with other developed countries, will face unprecedented pressures from ever greater numbers of people leaving the developing world for places like the UK. Unless action is taken, the problem will continue to worsen, and the UK’s asylum system will continue to be overwhelmed. The backlog has already ballooned to over 160,000, and the asylum system now costs the British taxpayer £3 billion a year.

Since 2018, around 85,000 people have illegally entered the UK by small boat, with 45,000 of them doing so in 2022 alone. Most of these people are adult males under the age of 40 who are rich enough to pay criminal gangs thousands of pounds for passage. They have passed through multiple safe countries in which they could have claimed asylum and come from safe countries, like Albania. Upon arrival, most are accommodated in hotels across the country, costing the British taxpayer around £6 million a day. The risk remains that these individuals could disappear, and when the government tries to remove them, they turn the country’s generous asylum laws against it to prevent removal.

To address this issue, the UK government has taken various steps, such as signing a new deal with France, creating a new Small Boats Operational Command with over 700 new staff, and procuring accommodation, including on military land, to end the farce of accommodating migrants in hotels. However, these measures are not enough, and the government recognizes that yesterday’s laws are not fit for purpose in the face of today’s global migration crisis.

Therefore, the Illegal Migration Bill enables the detention of illegal arrivals without bail or judicial review within the first 28 days of detention until they can be removed. It also puts a duty on the Home Secretary to remove illegal entrants and radically narrows the number of challenges and appeals that can suspend removal. Only those under 18, medically unfit to fly, or at real risk of serious and irreversible harm will be able to delay their removal. Any other claims will be heard remotely after removal.

Moreover, the bill disqualifies illegal entrants from using Modern slavery rules to prevent removal, as Modern slavery laws are being abused to block removals. This disqualification will prevent the government from granting more than 50% of asylum requests from citizens of a safe European country and NATO ally, Albania, as was done in the past.

The UK government’s approach is robust and novel, and the bill will introduce an annual cap, to be determined by Parliament, on the number of refugees the UK will resettle via safe and legal routes. This will ensure an orderly system that considers local authority capacity for housing, public services, and support.

In conclusion, the UK government recognizes that the British people are fair and patient people. However, their sense of fair play has been tested beyond its limits, and they have seen the country taken for a ride. Therefore, the government must act decisively, with determination, compassion, and proportion. The UK government, led by the Prime Minister, will act now to stop the boats.

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