LONDON: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is set to lead a charge against the UK government’s Illegal Migration Bill by introducing a series of amendments in the House of Lords. Welby, who has previously criticized the legislation as “morally unacceptable,” aims to address concerns about the bill’s potential impact on international cooperation in assisting refugees and individuals fleeing war, famine, and conflict.
According to sources cited by The Guardian, the archbishop’s proposed amendments to the bill will focus on ensuring safeguards for trafficking victims and children. By taking this action, Welby is taking an “extremely unusual if not unprecedented” step in his role as the most senior cleric in the Church of England.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed his commitment to reducing migrant numbers and stopping the influx of individuals crossing the English Channel in small boats. Last year, the UK experienced a significant net increase in immigration, reaching at least 500,000 people. Official figures expected next week indicate that the numbers have risen even further, potentially reaching between 700,000 and one million. The number of arrivals via small boats in the English Channel is also predicted to surpass the previous year’s total of 45,000.
Sunak, who recently attended a G7 meeting in Japan, described immigration levels as “too high” to sustain and expressed a desire to reduce them to the 500,000 figure inherited when he assumed office as prime minister. However, this target would still exceed the net rate of immigration when the Conservatives won the last general election in 2019, which stood at around 271,000. Sunak has distanced himself from the party’s promise to cut immigration numbers since then.
Illegal Immigration Bill
The Illegal Immigration Bill aims to facilitate the government’s ability to remove individuals who enter the country through unauthorized means, swiftly deport those whose asylum claims are rejected, and prohibit re-entry for many. Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick countered Welby’s criticism, stating that the archbishop’s assessment of the bill was incorrect and emphasizing the importance of tackling criminal people-smugglers.
Despite opposition from rights groups, charities, opposition parties, and international institutions, some Tory MPs argue that the government’s stance on immigration remains insufficient. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith warned that failure to achieve the promised reduction in migration could lead to public dissatisfaction. He further criticized the UK’s reliance on cheap labor and the perceived inability to make tough decisions promptly.
Recent attention has centered around potential changes to rules governing international students in the UK, particularly regarding their ability to bring family members with them. In 2022, the number of visas granted to dependents of foreign students in the UK significantly increased to 135,788, up from 16,047 in 2019. Economists, such as Prof. Brian Bell, chairman of the government’s Migration Advisory Committee, argue that the current student visa system offers an easy pathway to remain in the UK after graduation, potentially leading to low-skilled, low-paid employment opportunities.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has sought to amend student and dependent visa rules and has proposed four other plans to reduce migration, including raising salary thresholds for foreign workers. However, Braverman has faced opposition from many government colleagues, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
The government’s focus on employing British fruit-pickers instead of imported labor recently sparked a clash between Braverman and the government. Former Tory minister David Davis called on the home secretary to take responsibility for failings in the immigration system and urged the government to establish a systematic policy. Concerns have also been raised by Sir John Hayes, another Tory MP and a close ally of Braverman, who deemed immigration at the level of 700,000 to 800,000 people annually as unsustainable and unacceptable
