Illegal migration bill to become law: what you need to know

After a series of late-night votes and months of controversy, the bill is now set to receive royal assent and become the Illegal Migration Act 2023.

Metadata
Provider: 
The ConversationThe Conversation
URL: 
https://theconversation.com/illegal-migration-bill-to-become-law-what-you-need-to-know-209993https://theconversation.com/illegal-migration-bill-to-become-law-what-you-need-to-know-209993
Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Information
Tags: 
Psychology, Heart, Hostility, University, Partnership, United Nations, Oxford, Commons, Policy, The Conversation, House of Commons of the United Kingdom, Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, University of Nottingham, Government, House of Lords, Nationality, House, United, Risk, Refugee, Lancaster University, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Supreme court, Law of the United Kingdom, Middlesex University, Nationality and Borders Act 2022, Nottingham Trent University, Leeds Beckett University, Trauma, International law, Legislation, Drug, Lords, Channel
Geotags: 
RWANDA, UK
Summary
Key Points: 
  • After a series of late-night votes and months of controversy, the bill is now set to receive royal assent and become the Illegal Migration Act 2023.
  • The illegal migration bill piece of legislation is the central pillar of Rishi Sunak’s plan to stop small boat crossings, one of his five promises as prime minister.
  • A key facet of the bill – the Rwanda migration partnership – remains in legal limbo.
  • The House of Lords tried to soften these parts of the bill through a series of amendments, but was ultimately defeated by the government.

Legal concerns

    • The home secretary, Suella Braverman, said herself that the bill would “push the boundaries” of international law.
    • While international refugee law is difficult to enforce, there are a number of issues in the bill that are likely to face prolonged legal battles.

Will it even work?

    • But there is very little evidence) to show that this approach of “deterrence” would be effective, writes Peter William Walsh, a researcher at Oxford University’s Migration Observatory.
    • Read more:
      The government's plan to remove asylum seekers will be a logistical mess – and may not deter people from coming to the UK

The trauma of the asylum system

Copyright: 
2023 The Conversation. All Rights Reserved.