UK to Maintain Ban on Asylum Seekers Claiming Modern Slavery Protections
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government retains controversial restrictions as part of new immigration bill.
The UK government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will retain a ban on asylum seekers claiming protections under modern slavery and human rights laws, despite previous criticisms of these measures by Starmer's ministers.
The decision is part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, introduced to parliament on Thursday.
The bill aims to address concerns over illegal immigration, particularly the rise in asylum seekers arriving in small boats.
The legislation allows police to seize mobile phones from asylum seekers to track down people smugglers and targets suppliers of boat parts.
The bill also includes provisions from the previous Conservative government, such as disqualifying asylum seekers from using modern slavery laws to challenge deportation decisions and enabling the detention of child asylum seekers for up to 28 days.
The Labour Party had opposed these measures in 2023, with Starmer describing the decision to restrict modern slavery claims as detrimental to trafficking victims.
However, despite this, Labour's new position aligns with the previous government’s approach.
Immigration and asylum remain central issues for voters, with 36,816 people arriving via small boats in 2024, marking a 25% increase from the previous year.
Immigration was a significant factor in the 2016 Brexit vote, but efforts to curb migration have faced limited success.
The decision is part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, introduced to parliament on Thursday.
The bill aims to address concerns over illegal immigration, particularly the rise in asylum seekers arriving in small boats.
The legislation allows police to seize mobile phones from asylum seekers to track down people smugglers and targets suppliers of boat parts.
The bill also includes provisions from the previous Conservative government, such as disqualifying asylum seekers from using modern slavery laws to challenge deportation decisions and enabling the detention of child asylum seekers for up to 28 days.
The Labour Party had opposed these measures in 2023, with Starmer describing the decision to restrict modern slavery claims as detrimental to trafficking victims.
However, despite this, Labour's new position aligns with the previous government’s approach.
Immigration and asylum remain central issues for voters, with 36,816 people arriving via small boats in 2024, marking a 25% increase from the previous year.
Immigration was a significant factor in the 2016 Brexit vote, but efforts to curb migration have faced limited success.
