By Muhammad Mussa
LONDON (AA) – British parliamentarians are urging the government to end its reliance on its “hostile environment” policy towards undocumented migrants, as it is not only distressing those involved but it severely undermines the credibility of immigration enforcement.
In a report released Monday, the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee said a lack of official analysis of the scale and nature of immigration through illegal routes to the U.K. had allowed anxiety over the issue to fester and it called for a publication of annual estimates of legal and illegal migratory flows.
The report, compiled by the cross-party committee, strongly criticized the Home Office’s “hostile environment” measures, which have included closure of bank accounts, revocation of driving licenses and denying access to rented accommodation to those listed as undocumented migrants.
Moreover, it has discovered that some people were refused a new bank account because they were wrongfully included in a list of “disqualified people” by the Home Office and, therefore, at risk of being told to leave the country. The report cited a 10 percent error rate in the list compiled by the Home Office.
MPs have warned that the credibility of immigration enforcement is at risk of being undermined due to high-profile reports of the Home Office threatening to deport individuals based on information that is highly inaccurate and before these individuals can appear before a legal appeal process.
The committee, chaired by the former Labour Cabinet Minister Yvette Cooper, has called for an annual report detailing migration flows, controls and targets, setting out the economic contribution from migration and what action is being taken to improve skills, training and integration.
“The committee has a responsibility to build consensus and confidence on immigration rather than allowing this to be a divisive debate.
“But that requires a transformation in the way that immigration policy is made as too often the current approach has undermined trust in the system,” Cooper said regarding the present system of immigration enforcement.
“Most people think immigration is important for Britain, but they want to know that the system is under control, that people are contributing to this country and that communities and public services are benefiting rather than facing pressures.
“And crucially, they have different attitudes to different kinds of migration. We believe people should be working together to build consensus on the benefits and address concerns about problems on immigration,” she added.
