ACH’s Response to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
The government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, introduced in Parliament on 30 January 2025, includes some welcome steps, such as scrapping the Rwanda plan and repealing certain provisions of the Illegal Migration Act 2023.
However, the bill fails to address the fundamental issue that safe and legal routes remain accessible to only a limited number of refugees. For many seeking sanctuary, irregular migration remains the only available option.
Key points we want to highlight:
- Small boat crossings make up only a small proportion of overall net migration.
- Arrivals via this route have increased due to previous government restrictions on safe and legal pathways.
- Organised immigration crime is a response to demand - trafficking gangs are a symptom, not the cause, of global displacement.
We welcome the commitment to improving asylum application processing, but real reform must go further. We strongly advocate for:
- Lifting the ban on people seeking asylum taking paid employment to support self-sufficiency and integration.
- Investment in refugee integration, allowing individuals to thrive as independent contributors to society.
- A shift away from costly and unsuitable hotel accommodations, towards solutions that promote community cohesion and economic participation.
Now is the time for policies that prioritise dignity and long-term sustainability. We urge the government to build a system that reflects these values.
