UPDATE: 14th March, 2023
Hope for Justice has joined with other organisations to issue a briefing on the dangers and failures of this bill, which can be found here: https://hopeforjustice.org/illegal-migration-bill-briefing/
The briefing has been issued by: Anti-Slavery International, Anti-Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, Focus on Labour Exploitation, Hope for Justice, JustRight Scotland, Kalayaan, Law Centre Northern Ireland, Scottish Refugee Council, TARA Service, and Unseen.
Original post: 9th March
Hope for Justice has joined with other human rights and anti-trafficking charities around the UK to urge the Government to scrap the unworkable and harmful “Illegal Migration” Bill.
Hope for Justice absolutely rejects this bill and urges the Government to withdraw it.
The new law, as written, would exclude thousands of victims of trafficking who have arrived irregularly from accessing protection, placing them at risk of exploitation or re-exploitation.
Survivors would be denied time in a safe house to recover, which is often a very necessary part of overcoming trauma and feeling stable and secure enough to give evidence against their abusers to police. The new law would discourage victims from coming forward in the first place, giving even more power and leverage to their traffickers and to organized criminals.
This bill takes absolutely the wrong approach, and is both cruel and counter-productive.
There are only a few days left. Please contact your MP and urge them to speak out against the “Illegal Migration” Bill. You can find and easily send a message to your MP at: www.writetothem.com
The Bill specifically ignores human rights legislation, to the detriment of us all, setting a dangerous precedent.
There are evidence-based and human rights-respecting ways for the Government to achieve its policy goals and to reduce the number of people paying smugglers to attempt the dangerous crossing across the English Channel in small boats:
1. Establishing safe and legal routes for those who need them.
2. Improving the asylum system to ensure people have access to legally aided advice as soon as possible.
3. Ensure claims are heard in a timely manner and decisions are fair and are made quickly.
4. Ensure that those who fall under definitions of modern slavery are identified, safeguarded and receive the protection and support hat they need.
We believe the entire Bill should be withdrawn.
Hope for Justice is working with other charities on a more detailed response to the failures and cruelty of this Bill, which we will share soon.
