Scrap the Illegal Migration Bill

The Illegal Migration Bill places a blanket duty with (limited exceptions) on the Home Secretary to remove people who have ‘entered or arrived in the UK illegally’ since 7 March 2023.

Yet, so-called ‘safe and legal routes’ are inaccessible to most asylum seekers.

The Refugee Council has estimated that more than 190,000 people – most of them refugees fleeing from some of the world’s most dangerous and repressive countries – could be locked up or forced into destitution in the first three years after the legislation passing.

The TUC opposes the Bill in its entirety.

There are three areas where the Bill has particular impacts on working people:

• It removes almost all protections for victims of modern slavery and trafficking who are targeted for removal.
• It risks many migrant workers being pushed into the informal economy where the worst employers will take advantage of those who have no legal status and no recourse to labour market inspectorates.
• Transport workers (pilots, captains, train drivers, lorry drivers) could be required by an immigration officer to restrain and detain asylum seekers.

Modern slavery victims

The Bill removes almost all protections for victims of modern slavery and trafficking who are targeted for removal.

So modern slavery victims who are trafficked to the UK for exploitation will first be denied refuge, then returned to their country of origin and almost certainly back to the criminal gangs who trafficked them in the first place.

The UK has clear obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights to assist and support trafficking victims. It appears that the government is prepared to break the law to push through its Illegal Migration Bill.

Increasing exploitation in the labour market

Furthermore, the proposals risk many migrant workers being pushed into the informal economy where the worst employers will take advantage of those who have no legal status and no recourse to labour market inspectorates.

Impact on transport workers

Transport workers (pilots, captains, train drivers, lorry drivers) could be required, by an Immigration Officer, to restrain and detain asylum seekers.

This Bill has total disregard for the ethical views and legal obligations that these working people might have.

Workers should not be forced to be complicit in the government’s shameful actions.

What is the TUC doing?

The TUC is campaigning against the Illegal Migration Bill alongside our member unions, charities and community organisations.  So far we have:

• written a letter from Paul Nowak, TUC GS, to Suella Braverman, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Department, setting out TUC opposition to the Bill
• sent a briefing paper to MPs calling on them to oppose the Bill in its entirety
• briefed the media of our concerns, including the impact of the Bill on transport workers
• written a submission to the Joint Committee on Human Rights setting out how we think the Bill contravenes the UK’s legal requirements under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The rationale behind the Bill is reprehensible.

The legislation, if passed, would amount to an asylum ban.

The UK government will be turning its back on people who need our help the most.

We need a humane immigration policy that includes safe legal routes for refugees and asylum seekers to enter the UK. The Bill fails to deliver this.