Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

After the performative racism of the other month, I report on the Labour Government’s current legislation. And in JUne, I amended it, to develop a policy proposal for Labour’s NPF and Union conferences.

After the poor local election results, the Givernment anounced amendments to the immigration policies in the UK, and they were announced at a press conference, where Starmer spoke and delivered what has become known as his “Island of Strangers” speech.

1. PM remarks at Immigration White Paper press conference: 12 May 2025 @gov.uk
2. We are a diverse nation, not an ‘island of strangers’, a reply from the Guardian
3. https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2025/05/keir-starmers-island-of-strangers and the New Statesman
4. ‘Island of strangers’ speech echoes of past discordant voices over immigration, the Guardian calls out its inglorious predecessors
5. https://x.com/labourlewis/status/1922228497625366961 Clive Lewis
6. https://x.com/NadiaWhittomeMP/status/1921904728419570023 Nadia Whittome

They produced a white paper, lisiting a bunch of things they could or will do. Some require legislation, some do not.

1. Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper from HMG
2. Changes to UK visa and settlement rules after the 2025 immigration white paper from the HoC library.

What are they going to do?

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper, the landing page
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/immigration-white-paper-to-reduce-migration-and-strengthen-border, the white paper
3. Changes to UK visa and settlement rules after the 2025 immigration white paper
4. https://www.taylorwessing.com/en/insights-and-events/insights/2025/05/uk-announces-radical-changes-to-its-immigration-rules
5. https://freemovement.org.uk/what-is-in-the-border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill/ from freemovement.org.uk, more police, more offences, longer sentences.

On French co-operation re Calais,

Zoe speaks,

Originally, in March 2025

1. Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill at the parliament bills site, at the time of writing, it’s in Commons Committee stage
2. The legislation progress chart
3. https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/lln-2025-0023/
4. Membership of the Commons Committee , again from Parliament.UK
5. https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/stay-informed/articles/our-response-to-the-introduction-of-the-border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill/
6. https://freemovement.org.uk/what-is-in-the-border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill/
7. Oppose reform on immigration dont mimic them say a thousand labour MPs and activists, from LCFM, the petition which kick started the opposition

I should have looked for and documented

1. https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/publications/2024/summary-visa-costs-analysis-2024/
2. https://freemovement.org.uk/what-is-in-the-border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill/
3. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tough-government-action-on-student-visas-comes-into-effect
4. https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/

The LCFM statement from last year, what needs to be added now.

1. https://www.labourfreemovement.org/get-involved/model-motions/

And Google AI,

1. What are the pro migration criticisms of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. By Google Gemini AI

My comments and notes on the performative politics of the Home office

Down the sewer!

The government says, about the Bill,

A Bill to make provision about border security; to make provision about immigration and asylum; to make provision about sharing customs data and trailer registration data; to make provision about articles for use in serious crime; to make provision about serious crime prevention orders; to make provision about fees paid in connection with the recognition, comparability or assessment of qualifications; and for connected purposes.

One of the articles that angered me, was Ashworth’s piece at Labour together, at one point it disappeared, so I made a mirror, “Inside Labour: A fair migration system that works for our economy”.

Who’s coming?

Here’ the migration observatory report/page. They say, “In 2024, five nationalities drove most of the increase in people seeking asylum in the UK: Bangladeshis (+42% on 2023), Pakistanis (+79%), Syrians (+70%), Sudanese (+36%), and Vietnamese (+113%) (Figure 2).”

What is a refugee?

A refugee is someone who has been forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster and has crossed an international border to find safety. They are unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on factors like race, religion, nationality, or political opinion.

Image: “border force” by MS Sports Photography: CC-2014-BY via flickr

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