 "Starmer govt to deny UK citizenship to most illegal immigrants under new rules")
Most illegal immigrants are going to be denied British citizenship under new rules made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Starmer has been under increasing pressure over the issue of illegal immigration, particularly as the far-right party Reform UK has been gaining popularity on the back of an anti-immigration platform. He had vowed to gangs smuggling people into the United Kingdom through illegal crossings of the English Channel.
As per the latest guidance issued by the British Home Office, people entering the United Kingdom (UK) illegally by small boats, such as those crossing the English Channel, or hinding in trucks will be banned from citizenship, according to The Daily Telegraph.
“A person who applies for citizenship from 10 February 2025 who has previously arrived without a required valid entry clearance or electronic travel authorisation, having made a dangerous journey will normally be refused citizenship. A dangerous journey includes, but is not limited to, travelling by small boat or concealed in a vehicle or other conveyance. It does not include, for example, arrival as a passenger with a commercial airline,” reads the new guidance.
The development comes at a time when Starmer’s Labour government is in the process of introducing a revamped Border Security Bill that proposes up to 10 years in jail for possessing boats and other equipment used in illegal migration, according to The Telegraph.
As per the new guidance, there is a narrow exception for people “who entered illegally 14 years ago [who] would normally require refusal of citizenship as an illegal entrant but has been recognised as a victim of trafficking and subsequently granted refugee status”, as per the newspaper.
The guidance said, “They haven’t acquired any other notable adverse character issues during their residency, indicative that on a balance of probabilities they are now of good character.”
Impact Shorts
View AllIn 2024, illegal crossings into the UK from the English Channel rose by up 25 per cent, according to British government’s data.
In 2024, 36,816 crossed into the UK from English Channel. Even as the number was higher than 2023, it was down from 45,774 recorded in 2022.
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