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Eleventh Edition

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Chapter 28

UK immigration policy in a hostile environment

Chapter Summary

Chapter 28 presents an overview of UK immigration policy, with particular focus on the concept of the “hostile environment” introduced by Theresa May in 2012. The text traces the evolution of British immigration control from its beginnings in 1905 through to 2024, examining how border control has become increasingly restrictive and embedded in everyday life. It explores various aspects of immigration policy, including gender-based discrimination, asylum seeking, and the points-based system. It details significant events such as the Windrush Scandal and the Rwanda Plan, while also examining how immigration controls have extended beyond physical borders into daily life through “everyday bordering” practices. The text discusses various forms of resistance to immigration policies, including migrant-led civic groups and solidarity campaigns. It contextualizes UK immigration within broader international frameworks, noting that the UK hosts a relatively small proportion of the world’s displaced people compared to countries like Iran, Turkey, and Germany. The chapter also examines how immigration has been a major electoral issue, with various political parties adopting increasingly restrictive stances on immigration control over time.

Learning Objectives

  • To outline the history of migration and migration control in the UK.
  • To explain the different terminologies and categories of migration control in the UK.
  • To demonstrate changes in immigration policy over time, and the contexts and some impacts of these changes.
  • To outline how migration control affects everyday life within the UK.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with the Chapter 28 quizzes!

Quiz

Discussion Questions

  1. The “hostile environment” policy was introduced to reduce illegal immigration, but it has been widely criticised for its impact on legal residents, racial discrimination, and bureaucratic failures. To what extent do you think immigration enforcement should involve landlords, employers, and public services?
  2. The UK government has faced legal and ethical challenges regarding deportation policies such as the Rwanda Plan and Windrush Scandal. Should the UK prioritise strict border enforcement, or should policies focus more on human rights and migrant integration?

UK Immigration Rules – The official government site outlining the UK’s immigration policies and regulations. (www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules)

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) – A campaign group advocating for immigrant rights and against restrictive immigration policies. (www.jcwi.org.uk/Pages/Category/ending-the-hostile-environment)

Migration Observatory – A research body providing data-driven analysis on UK migration. (https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/)

Missing Migrants Project – A global initiative documenting migrant deaths and disappearances. (https://missingmigrants.iom.int/)

Our Migration Story – A historical resource tracing migration patterns in Britain from ancient to modern times. (https://www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk/)

EU Families & Eurochildren in Brexit Britain – A research project exploring the impact of Brexit on EU migrant families in the UK. (https://eurochildren.info/)

Windrush Lessons Learned Review – A government-commissioned report analysing the Windrush Scandal and its policy implications. (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/876336/6.5577_HO_Windrush_Lessons_Learned_Review_LoResFinal.pdf)

Flashcards

Refresh your knowledge of key terms with this chapter’s flashcards.

Asylum Seeker

someone seeking safety (asylum), and in the process of applying for refugee status to enable them to live in another country, on the basis that they face persecution in their country of origin.

Economic Migrant

someone moving for the purposes of work or better economic opportunities.

Emigrant

someone moving out of their original home country and moving to another.

Immigrant

someone moving into another place.

Immigrant Detention

People who are subject to immigration control in the UK may be held in immigration detention, that is, they are kept in custody for a period. This is an administrative process and separate from the criminal system of prisons. At the time of writing, the UK does not have any time limit on how long people can be held in immigration detention, meaning some people have been held for years in prison-like conditions without criminal charges being brought.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

a term in UK immigration law which indicates that the UK government to has granted a person the right to settle in the UK without time restrictions. This often follows a period of residence on successive visas, and requires an application process and fee. It does not convey all of the same rights as British citizenship.

Migrant

a person moving from one place to another, often but not always across territorial borders, and usually with the purpose of settlement for a considerable time (i.e. tourists and students are not usually considered migrants).

Naturalisation

the process of obtaining citizenship of a country other than by birth.

NHS Surcharge

a charge introduced in 2015 by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, which all people moving to the UK from outside the European Economic Area for more than six months must pay in order to receive their visa. The money from this charge is ring-fenced for spending on the National Health Service, supplementing revenue from National Insurance which those liable for the NHS surcharge also pay if earning wages.

No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)

This is a status in which a person has no entitlement to receive support from the state, specifically restricting them from accessing welfare benefits, homelessness assistance and local authority housing. The NRPF condition applies to people who do not have leave to enter or remain in the UK, and it also applies to a range of people who have legal rights to be in the UK, but on condition that they do not call on the state for these kinds of resources.

Passport

a document given by a person’s home country or country of citizenship that identifies them for the purpose of international travel.

Refugee

someone who has left their country of origin/residence/citizenship to seek safety in another country and has been granted protection by that country on the grounds that they would otherwise face persecution.

Stateless

Being ‘stateless’ means not having citizenship of any country. The majority of the world population has citizenship of a state (or more than one) and as a result the government of that state has a responsibility to their own citizens. One way in which people become stateless is when a government revokes their citizenship, as happened for example to German Jewish people under Hitler.

Visa

an official document and permission to exercise certain rights in a country, given by the government of that country to visitors or new arrivals. Visas may allow rights to work, live, participate in society, own property, or have various limitations on those rights, and may be unlimited or only for a fixed period of time or with certain caveats.