Mahmood immigration and asylum bill set for parliamentary debate next week
11 reported3 unconfirmed
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s immigration and asylum bill is scheduled to be presented to MPs next Tuesday, according to a single-source report. The legislation includes plans to increase forced removals of people refused asylum, introduce stringent age checks for those claiming to be children, and limit applications under human rights laws. The bill is expected to direct how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in immigration and deportation cases. It will also outline a new structure for asylum tribunals, replacing the independent court system with an appeals body within the Home Office. The modern slavery framework will be amended to stop late presentation of claims. The bill will not introduce new rules doubling the time to qualify for indefinite leave to remain from five to 10 years, though such changes could come via secondary legislation. Refugee charities have expressed concern about the speed of the bill’s introduction and its potential impact on children and family reunion.
What’s reported
The immigration and asylum bill is expected before parliament next Tuesday.
The bill plans to increase forced removal of people refused asylum.
It will introduce stringent age checks for people claiming to be children.
It will limit applications under human rights laws, specifically Article 8 of the ECHR.
The bill will replace the independent asylum tribunal system with a new appeals body inside the Home Office.
It will allow “immediate forced removal of those who have exhausted all appeals.”
The modern slavery framework will be amended to stop late presentation of claims.
The bill will not introduce new rules doubling the ILR qualifying time from five to 10 years.
ILR changes could be introduced via secondary legislation.
The planned rules would apply retrospectively to claimants already in the UK, prompting backlash from as many as 100 Labour MPs, including Angela Rayner.
Refugee charities, including Safe Passage International and the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium, have expressed concerns.
Open questions
The exact contents of the bill beyond the described measures.
Whether the bill will pass given opposition from some Labour, Lib Dem, and independent MPs.
The timeline for any secondary legislation on ILR changes.
Key figures
Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary
Andy Burnham, widely expected to be in No 10 within weeks
Angela Rayner, Labour MP who criticized the retrospective application
Jo Cobley, chief executive of Safe Passage International
Anita Hurrell, co-chair of the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium
Sources: The Guardian
