Nearly two hundred foreign nationals considered a danger to the British public are being permitted to remain in the country because the Home Office is legally blocked from deporting them, official documents have revealed.
Restrictions and Surveillance for Security Threats
Government papers show that approximately 170 individuals posing a threat to national security or public safety are currently living in the UK under strict conditions. These measures are understood to include 24-hour surveillance and the mandatory wearing of electronic ankle monitors. However, the precise details of the restrictions imposed on each person remain unclear.
The revelations come from a Government Equality Impact Assessment related to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. The document states that over half of the 170 individuals on restricted leave "have been involved in terrorism or extremism related activities." It clarifies that such severe measures are reserved for a very low number of cases involving war crimes, crimes against humanity, serious criminality, or direct threats to security.
Article 8 and Calls to Leave the ECHR
The primary legal barrier to removal is Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which protects the right to family life. Failed asylum seekers and foreign criminals have successfully used this provision to avoid being sent back to their home countries.
The situation has reignited fierce political debate. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick stated: "Our broken borders are a national security emergency. We have to leave the ECHR and deport every single one of these terrorists and extremists." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised the Labour government, claiming it is "filled to the brim with woke human rights lawyers" who prioritise the Strasbourg court over British citizens.
In response, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has promised an overhaul of human rights laws and tighter immigration controls. Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said the previous rules were "disgraceful," adding that new laws would enable the government to track threats and "get terrorists rapidly deported from British soil."
Data Black Hole and Proposed Reforms
Compounding the issue is a significant lack of data. Research from the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory highlighted major gaps in information, including the total number of illegal migrants in Britain and how many use human rights law to avoid deportation.
Madeleine Sumption, director of the Observatory, warned: "The current data can't give us a clear picture of where and when [the ECHR] has most impact. This makes it harder for the public or policymakers to make an informed choice." Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused the government of "hiding the very data the public need" and keeping the country "in the dark."
Amidst this, the Home Secretary has announced a series of proposed asylum reforms aimed at reducing migrant numbers. These include:
- Legislation to prevent human rights laws from frustrating deportations.
- Making refugee status temporary, with a 20-year wait for permanent settlement instead of five.
- Limiting failed asylum seekers to one appeal against removal instead of multiple challenges.
The government's approach signals a determined effort to close the legal loopholes that have allowed individuals deemed dangerous to remain on UK soil.
