UK PM's bid to overhaul immigration system set out in King's Speech

(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to earn the public's "trust" and regain "control" of immigration as he set out plans for sweeping reforms announced in the King's Speech.

Starmer's pledge comes in the wake of figures confirming more than 200,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the channel since 2018.

Introducing the government's plans for legislation set out by the King during the state opening of parliament, Starmer said the Asylum and Immigration Bill "will deliver a firm but fair immigration system that restores control and earns public trust".

During his speech in the House of Lords, the king said forthcoming laws would "increase confidence in the security of the immigration and asylum systems".

The latest government figures show the total number of arrivals since current records began now stands at 200,209.

The number is calculated using official statistics gathered by the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office for 2018 to 2025 and provisional figures recorded so far this year.

The government said claiming asylum in Britain is "more attractive than elsewhere in Europe" and "radical reform was needed to address the scale of illegal arrivals".

Citing figures which suggest asylum claims have risen by 74% since 2021, compared to a 26% rise across the EU, a document setting out details of the Bill said more than 400,000 people have claimed asylum in that time and over 100,000 are living in taxpayer-funded accommodation costing GBP4 billion a year.

The contents of the bill, much of which has already been announced, is designed to give Britain the power it needs to remove people who have "no right to be here", the government said.

This includes making refugee status temporary and striking up more deals with countries to agree to take back deported nationals.

The legislation reiterates efforts to speed up removals and deport foreign criminals.

With a new appeals body set up, the government would look to carry out "immediate forced removal of those who have exhausted all appeals".

Meanwhile work will continue to make age assessments more robust to "root out false claims" from adult migrants pretending to be children.

The legislation will also look to restrict the use of Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights – an element that guarantees the right to respect for private and family life, which some migrants who do not qualify for a visa or asylum rely on – to "prevent exploitation of the system".

Charities warned the measures would not stop the root causes of people seeking asylum.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, from Amnesty International UK, said: "A new immigration Bill is needed, but not another one built on the false promise that weakening rights and restricting appeals will somehow fix a broken system.

"Human rights are not loopholes to be closed whenever politically convenient."

Freedom from Torture said: "The immigration reforms promised today risk denying survivors a fair hearing with the very real prospect that they will be wrongly refused protection and sent back into the hands of their torturers."

Speaking during the King's Speech debate, Labour MP Rachael Maskell told the Commons she would not support changes to the immigration system which "traumatise children".

The York Central MP said: "Labour has an immense obligation to be bold and ambitious, not for those who take all they can, but for those who serve, who work, who play their part and to take away the stigma and barriers for those who can't.

"For this, I implore the Government to maintain the rights of those with indefinite leave to remain as new communities work alongside established communities, and when it comes to restraining traumatised children, as the Government are consulting on, I simply warn the government, don't. I will not support. All children must be treated with dignity, nothing less."

By Flora Thompson and George Thompson, Press Association Political Staff

source: PA

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