"The government believes that to deter refugees from crossing the Channel in small boats, it must restrict their ability to reunite in Britain with their immediate family. It must also make it impossible for them to achieve settled status if they have ever claimed benefits or received a criminal record. Labour may think that appearing tough on asylum seekers will win plaudits with those who might otherwise vote Reform."
"The idea of restricting refugees' rights to deter small boat crossings is not new. The previous Conservative government did exactly this; it had no real impact on small boat crossings. This is hardly surprising. After all, refugees don't follow developments in immigration policy. They don't study the nuances in the family reunion policies of different European countries when deciding where to head. A small proportion of refugees in Europe come to the UK. Those that do come here do so because they have existing links with the UK."
UK policy now targets ending the asylum 'golden ticket' that allows refugees to resettle immediate family in Britain and seeks to deny settled status to anyone who has claimed benefits or received a criminal record. The government frames these measures as deterrents to small-boat Channel crossings. Refugees typically choose destinations based on existing family, diaspora, linguistic, or cultural links rather than detailed immigration rules. Previous restrictions produced no measurable reduction in crossings. Effective response requires demonstrating border control competence while upholding fairness, decency and compassion, and current measures risk failing on both counts.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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