Illegal Migration Bill is a historic moment for wrong reasons

Members of Stand Up To Racism at a pro-migrant demonstration (Image: Getty) This is an historic moment. But it is historic for all the wrong reasons. The Illegal Migration Bill slams our door in the face of refugees in a way no other government has ever done. It is a stain on Britain’s proud tradition of welcoming those in need. Ours is a great country. It is founded on immigration. We have welcomed people fleeing the Nazis, the brutal crimes of Uganda’s Idi Amin, persecution in Vietnam and – most recently – the horror of Russia ‘s invasion of Ukraine . This Government has now taken that proud record and torn it up. It is a watershed moment which shames us all. And it comes as the government’s inability to run a fair, humane asylum system reaches new depths. The arrival of a barge in Portland, on the south-west coast, is a stark symbol of the descent of our asylum system into yet more costly chaos and gross mismanagement. The new bill does many things but at its heart is a grim reality: desperate people fleeing for their lives are no longer able to ask for our help. Instead – without even having the chance to make their case – they will be locked up and deported. All because they don’t meet the Government’s requirements for what makes a ‘good refugee’ such as those from Ukraine who we gave visas to so they could arrive safely. But how does a refugee who is fleeing some other horror get here? There are no safe routes for people fleeing the risk of slavery and forced conscription in Eritrea, persecution in Iran, civil war in Sudan or bombs and bullets in Syria. That’s the moral failure at the heart of this cruel legislation. It means we will be turning our backs on people who are desperate for our help. Worse still, it won’t work. Our assessment is that it will lead to almost 200,000 locked up or destitute on our streets. At huge cost to us all. When the changes this legislation will introduce collapse in failure – as they will – there will be a need for reform: an asylum system which is fit for purpose, controlled and compassionate, efficient and effective. This legislation fails on all fronts. Its passing is a dark day for all of us in this country who believe in treating people who have lost everything fairly and with common decency, so they are able to be safe and secure. Enver Solomon is the Refugee Council Chief Executive Officer