Migrants will be barred from moving back into their family homes to exploit human rights laws and avoid removal from the UK. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has told asylum officials that “no weight” should be given to Article 8 - the right to a family life - claims when the family unit was established while they were living in the UK illegally.
New rules on family relationships
New legislation will place a greater burden on relatives living together. A foreign criminal, failed asylum seeker or immigration offender will have to prove they have a “genuine and subsisting relationship”. Courts will also have to consider “how long” and “how often” a foreign criminal or failed asylum seeker has been in contact with their child.
Migrants who file last-minute human rights claims will also be deemed unreliable, as officials are concerned lawyers are waiting as late as possible to remove their clients from deportation flights. Officials claim this delays deportations.
Home Secretary's statement
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “The British public must trust that their immigration system is secure, controlled and not open to abuse. These reforms will protect its integrity, prevent exploitation and ensure that those with no right to be here are swiftly removed. This builds on our work to ramp up removals and slash asylum costs, while providing sanctuary to those who need it.”
Cost recovery measures
Migrants will face monthly bills for their accommodation, with Ms Mahmood willing to deduct the cash from benefit payments. Those given the right to work – once their asylum claims have been accepted – will also be told to begin paying back their costs. Refugees will be barred from gaining settlement rights if they have not paid back the money.
Under the current plans, migrants are expected to pay around £10,000 towards their accommodation costs. The Home Secretary will have the power to adjust the charge and the thresholds, as officials desperately scramble to slash the £4billion bill on the asylum system. The powers needed to recover the costs will be set out by the Immigration and Asylum Bill when it is introduced to Parliament on Tuesday.
