Shabana Mahmood’s visa ban for nations refusing illegal migrants | UK | News
Shabana Mahmood is set to announce that countries that do not apply for asylum in the UK or accept the deportation of foreign criminals will face a visa ban.
States that fail to comply will face penalties on a “sliding scale” ranging from removing fast-track visa services to banning entry documents for everyone from tourists to senior politicians.
On Monday, the Home Secretary will announce plans to stop people from traveling to the UK from Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo unless there is a rapid improvement in the number of returning migrants they accept, The Telegraph reports.
Other countries also face the risk of future crackdowns, according to an analysis of Home Office data by the Oxford University Migration Observatory; Somalia, Bangladesh, Iran and Egypt are among the countries with the worst records of accepting people whose asylum claims have been rejected.
Trump-style visa bans among measures to speed up removals
Visa bans are a reflection of the measures implemented by the former US President Donald Trump Sanctions against some African and East Asian countries in its first term are among a range of measures that will accelerate the elimination of illegal immigrants and foreign criminals.
The reforms to be announced by Ms Mahmood will include legislation that will prevent immigration judges from citing migrants’ rights to family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), instead of protecting the public and controlling UK borders.
UK will work with Europe on ECHR reforms
Ms Mahmood will commit to working with other European countries on reforming the ECHR to prevent the UK from obstructing deportations.
In addition, illegal immigrants will be limited by law to just a single appeal against their deportation, rather than making “endless” applications citing different reasons at different times to stay in Britain. Appeals will be decided by an independent Danish-style panel of arbitrators with the power to detect and weed out unfounded cases.
Ms Mahmood said: “Illegal immigrants and foreign criminals are abusing our human rights laws. I share the anger of the public who see our laws being used against us. “It is a disgrace that an arsonist sentenced to five years in prison cannot be deported because his brother lives in the country.
“We will write domestic law with the safety of British citizens first. We will challenge vexatious human rights claims over ground overflights. Bogus cases brought by claimants with no legs to stand on will be heard more quickly and dismissed.”
Pressures on “pull factors” driving channel migrations
Refugees who enter the UK illegally will have to wait 20 years before they can apply for permanent settlement, in a crackdown on “pull factors” driving channel crossings.
Refugee status will become provisional, with reviews every 30 months to determine whether their home country is safe for return. According to The Sun, migrants will also have to sell valuables such as necklaces and jewelery to cover accommodation costs, while asylum seekers living in hotels will have to surrender assets such as cars and e-bikes.
Denmark’s tough stance on illegal immigration
Denmark’s policy of forcing immigrants to hand over jewelery and valuables has earned it a reputation as one of Europe’s toughest countries on illegal immigration.
The plans, set out in a 33-page outline, are Sir Keir Starmer’s latest attempt to take the fight to Nigel Farage’s UK Reform Party, which is leading the polls.
There is turbulence within the Labor Party over Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership after the Budget abandoned plans to raise income tax and last week’s briefing battle against potential leadership rivals. None of the 10 sources last week insisted Sir Keir would rise to the challenge, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting cited as a would-be rival.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has been tipped as a possible future Labor leader, described the attacks on Mr Streeting as “horribly disgraceful”.
In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, he said: “We all have important, difficult work to do and we Cabinet ministers need to focus on that work.”
Mahmood denies crackdown on immigrants is ‘racist’
On Sunday the Home Secretary denied to Sky News that his crackdown on immigrants was “racist”. Responding to Sky presenter Trevor Phillips’ objection that Labor was “alarmed” by a “racist” immigration policy, Ms Mahmood said: “I completely reject that. I am the child of immigrants. My parents came to this country legally in the late 60s and early 70s. That’s a moral duty for me.”
On Sunday night, Ms Mahmood warned Labor MPs considering rebelling against her plans that anger over illegal immigration was making second- and third-generation immigrants like herself less safe in Britain.
He wrote in the Guardian: “I know that a country with insecure borders is a less safe country for those like me. Dark forces are fueling anger in this country and trying to turn that anger into hatred. We must seize the opportunity to prevent this from happening. And I know we can do it.”
The Home Secretary has previously warned countries that refuse to take back illegal immigrants that he expects them to “play ball, play by the rules and if one of your citizens has no right to be in the country, you have to take them back”.
