Advertisement
Opinion

Labour’s focus on immigration and border security is a rehash of failed Tory policies

Yvette Cooper has promised to hire ‘specialist intelligence officers’ to deal with illegal immigration. Tougher policies may grab headlines, but they don’t change things, writes Daniel Sohege

The Labour government’s proposed policies on immigration and border security are starting to look a lot like just a rehashing of the same old policies of “deterrence, detention and deportation” which we saw under the Conservative government.

Cancelling the Conservatives’ Rwanda policy on day one showed that we can have immigration and asylum policies rooted in fairness, not just publicity stunts. Ending the contract for the Bibby Stockholm gave hope that we would see a more humane system in place. Unfortunately, Labour appears to have already started falling into the same tired old routine as the Conservatives did by now announcing policies focused purely on enforcement and increased immigration detention.

As part of their new policy, home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced that it will bring on 100 new “specialist intelligence officers and investigators” into the National Crime Agency to target gangs, new plans to target employers who employ undocumented workers, increase immigration detention capacity by 290 beds, and redeployment of staff to drive returns.

These types of policies have been shown repeatedly not to work. In large part, the previous government’s policies along these lines, including the Albanian Returns Agreement, led to a significant rise in modern slavery claims, albeit with far fewer positive outcomes as it became harder for people to actually seek help from the authorities. Gangs use the threat of returns to increase their control over their victims.

Even when we aren’t talking about human trafficking, though, there are serious implications. Returns agreements don’t change what caused people to come to the UK. They don’t suddenly make someone less likely to leave a country if returned there. They risk creating a never-ending cycle of people having to rely on gangs, and gangs which are being strengthened by other policies.

Part of the announced policies is to further treat channel crossings as a criminal rather than migration issue. There are a number of problems with this, namely though that such policies, as seen with the previous government’s Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, invariably end up targeting the smaller, “self-facilitated” crossings. These are the ones organised predominately by friendship or family groups, rather than criminal gangs.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The more difficult these become the more likely people are to have to turn to the larger organised gangs, which are not only better resourced, but also often have better contacts to avoid enforcement. These gangs are increasingly putting more and more people on boats to minimise the number of crossings, forcing asylum seekers to pilot the boats, and then taking longer more dangerous journeys. Inevitably this increases the risk of loss of life in the channel.

None of this actually changes why people come to the UK to seek asylum, primarily because they have existing ties which no number of deterrents change. People don’t risk their lives crossing the channel if they see any alternative option, and that’s what we need, alternative options.

Aside from what is mentioned in Labour’s announcement, it is what isn’t which is more striking. We are used to politicians “talking tough” on immigration and asylum, but there was no mention of increasing the number of authorised routes for people to seek asylum in the UK, no mention of plans to make it safer and simpler for people to do so without relying on gangs. There was no mention of how we can help people regularise their status if they do become undocumented, so that they are not put at risk from exploitative employers. We could have seen policies about providing asylum seekers with the right to work more quickly. We saw none of this. Instead, it is just the same old talk of “deterrents, detention and deportations”.

These types of policy, and the rhetoric which surrounds them, don’t just affect those coming to the UK. They impact on all of us and our communities. We recently saw rioters attempting to set alight to hotels with people in them while chanting “stop the boats”. We saw people attacking minorities because of misinformation about asylum seekers. We also saw communities come together to stand against that – those are who Labour needs to be listening to.

Tougher border policies grab headlines, but they don’t actually change anything in real terms. The Nationality and Borders Act, Illegal Migration Act, and Safety of Rwanda Act are just some recent examples of how such policies not only do not work, but also embolden the far-right.

If Labour really wants to tackle gangs and exploitative employers, rather than their victims, then they need policies which treat all migrants with respect and dignity. They need to change the framing of the debate to one which looks at the positives of immigration, and which combats misinformation and ensures that everyone can feel safe and supported living in the UK. That’s not a quick fix, and it doesn’t make for soundbites, but it is the only practical option.

Daniel Sohege is the director of human rights advocacy group Stand for All.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us moreBig Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy of the magazine or get the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

Read All
Hunger is a violation of our basic human rights – we should be outraged by UK's food bank crisis
People collecting food at a food bank
Alex Firth

Hunger is a violation of our basic human rights – we should be outraged by UK's food bank crisis

If Bob Dylan tells us it's time for joy, we'd better pay attention
Paul McNamee

If Bob Dylan tells us it's time for joy, we'd better pay attention

'I will never forget the day it all changed': This is what life is like as an aid worker in Gaza
gaza in rubble
Salwa Al-Tibi

'I will never forget the day it all changed': This is what life is like as an aid worker in Gaza

Trump harnessed the power of angry young men – thanks to a brotherhood of online 'gurus'
Sam Delaney

Trump harnessed the power of angry young men – thanks to a brotherhood of online 'gurus'

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue