New Plan For Immigration

Policy Statement
March 2021
CP 412
Policy Statement
Presented to Parliament
by the Secretary of State for the Home Department
by Command of Her Majesty
March 2021
CP 412
© Crown copyright 2021
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Contents
Foreword2
Chapter 1: Overview of current system 5
Chapter 2: Protecting those Fleeing Persecution, Oppression and Tyranny 11
Chapter 3: Ending Anomalies and Delivering Fairness in British Nationality Law 15
Chapter 4: Disrupting Criminal Networks and Reforming the Asylum System 17
Chapter 5: Streamlining Asylum Claims and Appeals 24
Chapter 6: Supporting Victims of Modern Slavery 31
Chapter 7: Disrupting Criminal Networks Behind People Smuggling 36
Chapter 8: Enforcing Removals including Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) 40
Chapter 9: Engagement and Consultation 43
References44
2 New Plan for Immigration – Policy Statement
Foreword
The UK has a proud history of being open to the world. Global Britain will continue in
that tradition.
Our society is enriched by legal immigration. We are a better country for it.
We recognise the contribution of those who have come to the UK lawfully and helped build
our public services, businesses, culture and communities and we always will.
We also take pride in fulfilling our moral responsibility to support refugees fleeing peril
around the world.
Since 2015, we have resettled almost 25,000 men, women and children seeking refuge from
cruel circumstances across the world - more than any other European country.1
This year we have extended support to British National (Overseas) status holders and
their family members threatened by draconian security laws in Hong Kong, creating a new
pathway to citizenship for over 5 million people.2
And we continue to play our part as the third highest contributor of overseas development
aid in the world.3
Behind each statistic lies the story of a person or a family who can look forward to a better
future because of the generosity of the British people. We celebrate that.
But these humanitarian measures do not stand alone.
They are part of our overall approach to asylum and immigration.
And to sustain them, that system – all of it – must be a fair one.
This Government promised to regain sovereignty and we have made immigration and asylum
policy a priority.
We have taken back control of our legal immigration system by ending free movement and
introducing a new points-based immigration system.
The UK now decides who comes to our country based on the skills people have to offer, not
where their passport is from.
That is how we are addressing the need for clear controls on legal immigration.
But to properly control our borders we must address the challenge of illegal immigration too.
1
Eurostat, 2021a
2
Home Office, 2020d
3
OECD, 2020
Foreword 3
This Government will address that challenge for the first time in over two decades through
comprehensive reform of our asylum system.
Illegal immigration is facilitated by serious organised criminals exploiting people and
profiting from human misery.
It is counter to our national interest because the same criminal gangs and networks are also
responsible for other illicit activity ranging from drug and firearms trafficking, to serious
violent crimes.
And if left unchecked, illegal immigration puts unsustainable pressures on public services.
It is also counter to our moral interest, as it means people are put in the hands of ruthless
criminals who endanger life by facilitating illegal entry via unsafe means like small boats,
refrigerated lorries or sealed shipping containers.
Families and young children have lost their lives at sea, in lorries and in shipping containers,
having put their trust in the hands of criminals.
The way to stop these deaths is to stop the trade in people that causes them.
This is not a challenge unique to the UK, but now we have left the European Union, Global
Britain has a responsibility to act and address the problems that have been neglected for
too long.
At the heart of our New Plan for Immigration is a simple principle: fairness. Access to the
UK’s asylum system should be based on need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers.
If you illegally enter the UK via a safe country in which you could have claimed asylum, you are
not seeking refuge from imminent peril - as is the intended purpose of the asylum system -
but are picking the UK as a preferred destination over others.
We have a generous asylum system that offers protection to the most vulnerable via defined
legal routes. But this system is collapsing under the pressures of what are in effect parallel
illegal routes to asylum, facilitated by criminals smuggling people into the UK.
The existence of these parallel routes is deeply unfair as it advantages those with the means
to pay traffickers over vulnerable people who cannot.
And because the capacity of our asylum system is not unlimited, the presence of economic
migrants - which these illegal routes introduce into the asylum system - inhibits our ability to
properly support others in genuine need of protection.
This is particularly true in our court system where we are seeing repeated unmeritorious
appeals and claims, often made at the very last minute, which can delay the removal of those
– including Foreign National Offenders – with no right to reside in the UK. This can waste
significant judicial resources, resulting in delays to the assessment of genuine claims which
is to the detriment of vulnerable people.
The British people are fair and generous when it comes to helping those in need. But
persistent failure to properly enforce our laws and immigration rules, and the reality of a
system that is open to gaming and criminal exploitation, risks eroding public support for the
asylum system and those that genuinely need access to it.
We are therefore compelled to act and have three major objectives with these reforms:
Firstly, to increase the fairness and efficacy of our system so that we can better protect and
support those in genuine need of asylum.
Secondly, to deter illegal entry into the UK, thereby breaking the business model of people
smuggling networks and protecting the lives of those they endanger.
Thirdly, to remove more easily from the UK those with no right to be here.
To deliver against these objectives our New Plan for Immigration will make big changes,
building a new system that is fair but firm.
We will continue to encourage asylum via safe and legal routes, strengthening our support
by offering an enhanced integration package to those arriving in this manner and immediate
indefinite leave to remain in the UK for resettled refugees.
At the same time, this plan will mark a step-change in Government’s posture as we toughen
our stance against illegal entry and the criminals that endanger life by enabling it. We will
take steps to discourage asylum claims via illegal routes, as other countries such as Denmark
have recently succeeded in doing.
We will increase the maximum sentence for illegally entering the UK and introduce life
sentences for those facilitating illegal entry.
The use of hotels to accommodate arrivals will end and we will bring forward plans to expand
the Government’s asylum estate to accommodate and process asylum seekers including for
return to a safe country.
For the first time, whether you enter the UK legally or illegally will have an impact on how your
asylum claim progresses, and on your status in the UK if that claim is successful. Those who
prevail with claims having entered illegally will receive a new temporary protection status
rather than an automatic right to settle, will be regularly reassessed for removal from the
UK, will have limited family reunion rights and will have no recourse to public funds except in
cases of destitution.
To tackle the practice of making multiple and sequential (often last minute and
unmeritorious) claims and appeals which frequently frustrate removal from the UK,
we will introduce a ‘one-stop’ process to require all rights-based claims to be brought and
considered together in a single assessment upfront.
We will also introduce a robust approach to age assessment to ensure we safeguard against
adults claiming to be children.
Through these and many other measures in this package, we are determined to bring lasting
change to the system so that it is fair to everyone.
An asylum system that helps the most vulnerable and is not openly gamed by economic
migrants or exploited by people smugglers.
One that upholds our reputation as a country where criminality is not rewarded, but which is
a haven for those in need.
Not all of this will happen quickly. We will need to stick to the course and see this New Plan
for Immigration through.
But this Government promised to take a common-sense approach to controlling immigration
– both legal and illegal.
And we will deliver on that promise.
Rt Hon Priti Patel MP

Secretary of State for the Home Department
Chapter 1: Overview of current system International context 5
Chapter 1: Overview of current system

International context
The illegal migration we see is part of a larger global issue. This is not
a challenge unique to the UK.
Many asylum seekers come

through Europe to the UK
Around 1 in 6 asylum seekers to
moving between safe countries
the UK in 2019 were matched
in which they could and
to an asylum claim in another
should be claiming asylum,
European country.
before deciding to claim
asylum in the UK.
In 2020, 8,500 people arrived

on small boats across the
English Channel. 74% of those
arriving in 2020 were aged
between 18-39 and 87% of all
arrivals were male.
142,000 illegal border crossings

were detected at the external
land and sea borders of the
EU in 2019. More than half
(83,000) came through the
Eastern Mediterranean.
The UK has 109,000 outstanding In 2019, the UK received

asylum cases and in 2019 over 3,000 claims from
alone the UK received 36,000 unaccompanied asylum seeking
new claims, a 21% increase children, more than any other
on the previous year. European country.
Resettlement
Global Britain has a proud history of helping those facing
persecution, oppression and tyranny. We stand by our moral
obligations to help civilians fleeing peril.
Top 5 European countries for arrivals

via resettlement schemes 2015-2019
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
UK Sweden France Norway Germany
• The UK accepted more refugees through planned resettlement schemes than any other
country in Europe in the period 2015-2019 - the fourth highest number globally after
the USA, Canada and Australia. The UK has resettled almost 25,000 men, women and
children in those 5 years. Around half of those resettled were children. This includes
refugees resettled through the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme.
• The UK has also welcomed 29,000 people through the refugee family reunion scheme
between 2015 and 2019. More than half of these were children.
• The UK has recently introduced a new pathway to citizenship for British National
Overseas (BN(O)) status holders and their family members facing draconian new security
laws in Hong Kong. An estimated 5.4 million people are eligible for this scheme.
Access to the UK’s asylum system should be based on genuine need, not on the ability to
enter illegally by paying people smugglers.
Protecting the UK border

Illegal migration causes significant harm and endangers the lives
of those undertaking dangerous journeys.
Detected irregular arrivals to the UK, by mode of entry,
January 2018 to December 2020
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
2018 2019 2020
Individuals identified in a UK port (e.g. from lorries or containers)
Individuals detected within 72 hours after arrival
Small boat arrivals
Arrivals by air without documentation
• In 2019, 32,000 illegal attempts to enter the UK illegally were prevented in Northern
France. 16,000 illegal arrivals were detected in the UK.
• In the summer of 2020, the number of people crossing the English Channel in small
boats reached record levels, with 8,500 people arriving this way that year. Other routes
declined in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• 74% of those arriving by small boat in 2020 were aged between 18-39 and 87% of all small
boat arrivals were male.
2019 11% 2020 50% People have died

making these
51%
dangerous and
32% unnecessary journeys.
32% 14%
Asylum system
The rapid intake of asylum claims has outstripped any ability to
make asylum decisions quickly meaning caseloads are growing to
unsustainable levels.
Asylum caseload at the end of June (2011-2020) Cost of the asylum system to the taxpayer (£billions)
125,000 1.6
1.4
100,000
1.2
75,000 1.0
0.8
50,000 0.6
0.4
25,000
0.2
0 0
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21*
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Awaiting Initial Asylum Decision Elsewhere in the asylum system * forecast and will be amended at year end
Subject to Removal Action
Asylum applications in the UK Grant and refusal rate for asylum claims
40,000 2015-2016 March 2020: 100
European migration Covid-19 global pandemic-
crisis UK goes into national 90
35,000 lockdown
80
30,000
70
25,000
Grant rate (%)
60
Applications
20,000 50
40
15,000 2011: Syrian
civil war 30
10,000 begins
20
5,000 10
0 0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Dec
Grant rate Refusal rate
• There are 109,000 asylum claims in the asylum system and the number of those awaiting
initial decision rose to 52,000 by the end of 2020. Almost 73% of these claims have been
in the asylum system for over one year.
• Before the Covid-19 pandemic began, asylum applications were rising – increasing by
35% between 2017 and 2019.
• In the year ending September 2019, 62% of UK asylum claims were made by those
entering illegally - for example by small boats, lorries or without visas.
• 64,000 people are currently receiving asylum support - mostly through accommodation
with cash or other in-kind support to cover essential living needs.
• The asylum system is costing the taxpayer over £1 billion, the highest amount in
over two decades.
Our asylum system is too easily exploited by people smugglers and does little to
disincentivise individuals from attempting to enter the UK illegally.
Appeals
Justice is being delayed for those with genuine and important claims
and valuable judicial and court resources are being wasted.
Asylum Appeals
A study of asylum appeals between 2016-2018
Home Office Appeal stage

Decision Stage
Granted
36% Appeals with outcome not
yet known 4%
Appeals
Allowed
43%
Appeals Appeals
Outcomes* lodged** determined
87% 70% 92%
Appeals
refused
57%
Refused Appeals withdrawn 4%

64%
*13% of applications are withdrawn before a decision is reached

**at First Tier Tribunal
• Nearly all of those refused asylum at initial decision go on to appeal to an Asylum and
Immigration Tribunal.
• Around half (46%) of asylum claims received in 2016-2018 in the UK were rejected
following consideration of their case by the Home Office and subsequent review by the
Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.
• In 2019, 9,000 appeals were lodged following an initial asylum claim. Of those determined
over the same period, 56% were dismissed.
Judicial Reviews
• Last year, around 8,000 immigration Judicial Reviews were lodged against the Home
Office, 6,500 of which were at the Upper Tribunal.
• Of the approximate 6,000 cases determined on paper, 90% were dismissed or refused
and out of these dismissals 17% were classified as “Totally Without Merit” by the court.
• Of the decisions which reached permission hearing, around two thirds were
dismissed.  A similar proportion of Judicial Reviews were dismissed by a judge at
substantive hearing. 
The courts are becoming overwhelmed by repeated unmeritorious claims, often made at
the last minute and justice is being delayed for those with genuine and important claims.
Returns
Our ability to enforce immigration laws is being impeded,
contributing to a downward trend in the number of people, including
Foreign National Offenders, being removed from the UK.
Numbers of enforced returns and Foreign National Offenders (FNOs)
subject to deportation action living in UK communities
12,000
15,000
10,000
8,000
10,000
6,000
5,000 4,000
Enforced Returns 2,000

FNOs subject to deportation action living in the community
0 0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
• As of 2020, there are 10,000 Foreign National Offenders who have been released back
into the community because they cannot be returned to their country of origin.
• In 2019, new claims, legal challenges or other issues were raised by 73% of people who
had been detained within the UK following immigration offences. This resulted in release
from detention in 94% of cases instead of removal from the UK.
• Very few of these claims amounted to a valid reason to remain in the UK. For all issues
raised during detention in 2017, 83% were ultimately unsuccessful.
• Around 42,000 failed asylum seekers are still living in the UK despite having their
asylum claim refused.
Repeated legal challenges (often made at the last minute and which often transpire to
be unfounded) have meant the UK has found it increasingly difficult to remove those
with no right to remain in the UK, including Foreign National Offenders.
For information on statistical sources and referencing please see following chapters.
Chapter 2: Protecting those Fleeing Persecution,

Oppression and Tyranny
The UK and this Government has a proud record of helping those facing persecution,
oppression and tyranny and we stand by our moral and legal obligations to help innocent
civilians fleeing cruelty from around the world.
As well as committing £10 billion to Official Development Assistance (ODA) each year -
the second highest in Europe and third highest in the world – the UK is a world leader in
refugee resettlement.4 Safe and legal routes to the UK for those in need are well established
and have helped many thousands of people in need make the UK their home.
• Resettlement: We have around 25,000 refugees from 2015 to 2019 – more than any other
European country. Around half of those resettled were children;5
• Family Reunion: We have welcomed more than 29,000 close relatives through refugee
family reunion in the last 5 years, around half of whom were children;6
• British National (Overseas): We have introduced a new pathway to citizenship for

British National (Overseas) status holders and their family members who are facing
draconian new security laws in Hong Kong. More than 5 million people are eligible for this
immigration route and an estimated 320,000 people may come to the UK over the next
5 years.7
While we cannot help all the estimated 80 million people displaced worldwide, Global Britain
will continue to show global leadership welcoming those most in need.8 We will maintain
clear, well-defined routes for refugees in need of protection, ensuring refugees have the
freedom to succeed, ability to integrate and contribute fully to society when they arrive in
the UK.
4
OECD, 2020
5
Eurostat, 2021a
6
Home Office, 2021a
7
Home Office, 2020d
8
UNHCR, 2019
To achieve this, we will strengthen the safe and legal ways in which people can enter the UK.
We will:
• Maintain our long-term commitment to resettle refugees from around the globe,
including ensuring persecuted minorities are represented;
• Grant resettled refugees immediate indefinite leave to remain on arrival in the UK so that
they benefit from full rights and entitlements when they arrive;
• Review the refugee family reunion routes available to refugees who have arrived through
safe and legal routes;
• Ensure resettlement programmes are responsive to emerging international crises –

so refugees at immediate risk can be resettled more quickly;
• Work to ensure more resettled refugees can enter the UK through community
sponsorship, encouraging stronger partnerships between local government and
community groups;
• Introduce a new means for the Home Secretary to help people in extreme need of safety
whilst still in their country of origin in life-threatening circumstances;
• Enhance support provided to refugees to help them integrate into UK society and
become self-sufficient more quickly;
• Review support for refugees to access employment in the UK through our points-based
immigration system where they qualify.
Resettlement Schemes
We will continue our proud record of welcoming and resettling refugees in the UK.
Over the last 5 years UK resettlement efforts have been focused where need has been
greatest, resettling people from countries hosting large numbers of refugees including
Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey following the Syrian conflict. So we can continue to help those
most in need, now and in the future, we will build on our successful partnership with the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) by broadening the scope of the
UK’s protection offer and operating a scheme which is accessible to people from more
countries across the world.
This refined approach will prioritise resettling refugees, including children, from regions of
conflict, rather than those who are already in safe European countries. We will also look at
the range of people accessing resettlement schemes including the potential for people to
achieve better integration outcomes in the UK.
Under these new plans, refugees who are resettled into the UK will benefit from full rights
and entitlements through immediate indefinite leave to remain, providing them with the
certainty and stability they need to build their life here.
We will also ensure our resettlement offer encompasses persecuted refugees from a
broader range of minority groups (including, for example, Christians in some parts of the
world). We know that across the globe there are minority groups that are systematically
persecuted for their gender, religion or belief and we want to ensure our resettlement offer
properly reflects these groups. We will strengthen our engagement with global charities
and international partners to ensure that minority groups facing persecution are able to be
referred so their case can be considered for resettlement in the UK more easily.
The UK’s commitment to resettling refugees will continue to be a multi-year commitment

with numbers subject to ongoing review guided by circumstances and capacity at any
given time.
Family Reunion Rights

We want to ensure that refugees who enter through safe and legal routes can reunite with
close family members. We are already committed, through duties in the Immigration and
Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020, to review legal routes to the UK
from the EU for protection claimants, including to publicly consult on the family reunion of
unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. This commitment is fulfilled by the consultation
accompanying this policy statement.
We will now also review the refugee family reunion routes available to refugees who have
arrived through safe and legal routes. Specifically, we will consider whether there is a
case for unmarried dependent children under the age of 21 (rather than just 18) to join their
parents, where both parents are refugees living in the UK.
New Humanitarian Routes

We know that there are people facing persecution and threats to their life in their country of
origin because of their gender, religion or cultural belief.
We want to build a more flexible system that can respond quickly and appropriately to those
who are at very high risk and in need of support from around the globe.
We will therefore explore improving our systems to enable the Home Secretary to swiftly
offer discretionary assistance to people still in their country of origin, allowing them to enter
the UK in specific and compelling circumstances. Such cases would be exceptional and
where the person’s life is at direct risk.
Support for Refugee Integration

Refugees in the UK should have access to the tools they need to become fully independent,
provide for themselves and their families and contribute to the economic and cultural life
of the UK. We want to ensure there is effective support so that refugees can integrate and
become self-sufficient once they make the UK their home.
Previous resettlement schemes, specifically targeted at the most vulnerable, saw
employment rates of only 5% after the first year. For refugees more generally, the
employment gap, compared to the rest of the UK population, is over 30 percentage points.
It can take over a decade for this gap to close.9
We will therefore develop tailored and flexible employment support arrangements to
refugees arriving to help accelerate their progress as they adjust to life in the UK.
We have already committed £14 million for a cross-government Refugee Transitions
Outcomes Fund to offer greater support to refugees with a focus on employment and getting
people into work. Building on this programme and other schemes available, we will develop
a package of tailored support such as language training, skills development and work
placements to help refugees build their lives in the UK. Because proficiency in the English
language is so important for refugees to successfully integrate into local communities and
enter the workplace, we will improve the offer of English language teaching.
Kone et al, 2019

9
We also want a higher proportion of refugees to be supported by Community Sponsorship

groups and will work with civil society and communities to encourage the growth of the
Community Sponsorship scheme. Community Sponsorship enables local volunteer groups
including charities and faith groups, to directly welcome and support refugees, helping with
accommodation and integration support.
Access to Work for Refugees in the UK

There are many displaced people who could qualify for entry to the UK under the
points‑based immigration system but require additional support or signposting to apply.
These people are highly skilled, can speak English and are able to secure a job offer. We will
work with international partners to consider how best to support people to access existing
immigration routes where they qualify for them, underlining that there is, and will continue to
be, a safe and legal route to employment and ultimately settlement in the UK.
Resettlement: In Practice
A family was resettled by a community sponsor group, having fled from conflict in Syria. To
help the family integrate into the UK, they were supported by the sponsor group to find school
places, register with a GP, learn English and find employment. Just a few years later, the family
are speaking fluent English, their children are in school and the parents are working and helping
vulnerable people within their community. This demonstrates the importance of the UK’s world
class resettlement programme.
In another case, a resettled refugee was supported to become self-sufficient through an
employment support programme. They received training from the employment support group
and now manage a local store in their community. As these stories highlight, many refugees are
already contributing to their local communities.
The intended reforms aim to build on these successes, supporting more resettled refugees on
the path to self-sufficiency.
Chapter 3: Ending Anomalies and Delivering Fairness in British Nationality Law 15
Chapter 3: Ending Anomalies and Delivering Fairness

in British Nationality Law
As we build on our proud record of helping those in need from around the world, it is right that
we take this opportunity to correct historical anomalies which have existed for too long at
home in British Nationality law.
British Nationality Law has not changed significantly since 1983, and some of the provisions
are now outdated.
The reforms we will make to British Nationality law will finally address historical anomalies,
which will impact hundreds of people annually, including:
• Introducing new registration provisions for children of British Overseas Territories Citizen
(BOTC) to acquire citizenship more easily;
• Fixing the injustice which prevents a child from acquiring their father’s citizenship if their
mother was married to someone else;
• Introducing a new discretionary adult registration route to give the Home Secretary an
ability to grant citizenship in compelling and exceptional circumstances where there has
been historical unfairness beyond a person’s control;
• Creating further flexibility to waive residence requirements for naturalisation in

exceptional cases. This will mean Windrush victims are not prevented from qualifying for
British Citizenship because they were not able to return to the UK to meet the residence
requirements through no fault of their own.
Ending Anomalies in British Nationality Provisions

Until 1 January 1983, women could not pass on British nationality to a child born outside the
UK and its then territories. Similarly, until 1 July 2006, children born to British unmarried
fathers could not acquire British nationality through their father. While new registration
provisions were introduced to rectify these issues for British citizens, they were not applied
to children of British Overseas Territories Citizens. This is an injustice so we will now right
this wrong and create new registration routes for the affected children of British Overseas
Territory Citizens to acquire both British Overseas Territory and British Citizenship.
We will make necessary changes in law so that children entitled to British Citizenship through
their biological father (while their mother was married to someone else at the time of their
birth) have an entitlement to register for British citizenship, rather than simply relying on a
discretionary route to do so.
To help address other cases which seem unjust but do not meet all necessary criteria, we will
introduce a new discretionary adult registration route (which already exists for children) so
that the Home Secretary can grant citizenship in compelling cases, which would otherwise
result in an unfair outcome.
We will also introduce further flexibility to waive residence requirements for naturalisation in
exceptional cases. This will help individuals, including members of the Windrush Generation
(who were not able to meet the residence requirements to qualify for British Citizenship
through no fault of their own), to obtain British citizenship more quickly.
We will also take the opportunity to close a nationality provision loophole which was intended
to help those who are genuinely stateless. Under current nationality law a child can acquire
British Citizenship under statelessness provisions where they were born in the UK, have lived
here for 5 years and have never had another nationality. Recently we have seen an increasing
number of parents choosing not to register their child by their own nationality despite being
able to do so. In 2015, 10 statelessness applications were received, but this has now grown to
over 1,000 per year.
We will now stop this route from being abused by tightening the requirements and
actions parents are required to follow before their children are able to benefit from
statelessness provisions.
It is right that genuinely stateless children who were born in the UK should be able to acquire
British Citizenship, but it cannot be right that others can abuse the system and purposefully
not register their children in their own nationality.10
Nationality Anomalies: case studies

A person who was born outside of the UK and Overseas Territories had a non-British father and a
mother born in a British overseas territory pre-1983. When the individual was born, women were
unable to pass on citizenship to their children, meaning that the individual did not automatically
become a British Overseas Territories citizen or British citizen.
In another case, a person was born outside of the UK and overseas territories before 2006.
The person’s mother was not British; their father was born in a British overseas territory.
The parents were not married. Had the mother been married to the father at the time of the
person’s birth, then that individual would have become a British Overseas Territories citizen and
British citizen.
The intended reforms would help to resolve inconsistencies in the UK’s Nationality laws, and the
impact of this on families.
Home Office Internal Data and Analysis [unpublished]

10
Chapter 4: Disrupting Criminal Networks and

Reforming the Asylum System
Illegal immigration runs counter to our national interest because the same criminal networks
responsible for people smuggling are also responsible for other illicit activity ranging from
drug and firearms trading to serious violent crimes. If left unchecked, illegal immigration
puts unsustainable pressures on public services.
It is also counter to our moral interest as it means people are put in the hands of ruthless
criminals who endanger life by facilitating illegal entry via unsafe means like small boats,
refrigerated lorries, or sealed shipping containers.
Our asylum system is too easily exploited by people smugglers and does little to
disincentivise individuals from attempting to enter the UK illegally.
Because of the various ways in which people with no right to be in the UK can frustrate their
removal by filing an asylum claim, the system creates perverse incentives for economic
migrants to pay criminals to facilitate dangerous and illegal journeys into the UK and then
claim asylum on arrival.
It is unfair that genuinely vulnerable people who have played by the rules and accessed the
asylum system via legal routes find themselves in the same position as those who have
entered the UK illegally.
The rapid intake of asylum claims into the outdated system has outstripped any ability
to make asylum decisions quickly, for the courts to process appeals quickly or for the
Government to enforce removal of those with no right to remain in the UK.
This has led to asylum casework growing to unsustainable levels.
There are currently over 109,000 asylum cases in the system. 52,000 cases were awaiting
an initial decision at the end of 2020, around 5,200 have an asylum appeal outstanding and
approximately 41,600 cases are subject to removal action.11
Successful removals of those with no right to remain in the UK are at the lowest level since
2004. This can be partly attributed to repeated legal protection claims (often without merit
and made at the last minute) despite the individual having plenty of opportunities to raise
these claims earlier.12
11
Home Office, 2021d
12
(Home Office, 2021h).
2019 saw the highest level of asylum claims (36,000) since the 2015 migration crisis, with
a 21% increase in asylum claims compared with the previous year.13 For the year ending
September 2019, more than 60% of those claims were from people who are thought to have
entered the UK illegally, many of whom passed through safe European countries before
making unnecessary and dangerous journeys – including by small boat – to reach the UK.14
In 2020, there were around 15,600 recorded attempted crossings in small boats resulting
in around 8,500 arrivals to the UK, all of whom had travelled through France and other EU
countries – manifestly safe countries with well-functioning asylum systems.15
To protect life and ensure access to our asylum system is preserved for the most vulnerable,
we must break the business model of criminal networks behind illegal immigration and
overhaul the UK’s decades old domestic asylum framework. To do so we will take forward
reforms to:
• Ensure those who arrive in the UK, having passed through safe countries, or who have a
connection to a safe country where they could have claimed asylum, will be considered
inadmissible to the UK’s asylum system;
• Seek rapid removal of inadmissible cases to the safe country from which they embarked
or to another safe third country;
• Introduce a new temporary protection status with less generous entitlements and limited
family reunion rights for people who are inadmissible but cannot be returned to their
country of origin (as it would breach international obligations) or to another safe country;
• Bring forward plans to expand the Government’s asylum estate. These plans will include
proposals for reception centres to provide basic accommodation while processing the
claims of asylum seekers;
• Make it possible for asylum claims to be processed outside the UK and in another country
by amending sections 77 and 78 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002;
• Reduce the criminality threshold so that those who have been convicted and sentenced
to at least 12 months’ imprisonment, and constitute a danger to the community in the UK,
can have their refugee status revoked and be considered for removal from the UK (in line
with UK Borders Act 2007 provisions);
• Support improved decision-making by setting a clearer and higher standard for testing
whether an individual has a well-founded fear of persecution, consistent with the
Refugee Convention;
• Create a robust approach to age assessment to ensure we act as swiftly as possible to

safeguard against adults claiming to be children and can use new scientific methods to
improve abilities to accurately assess age.
13
Home Office, 2020b
14
Home Office Internal Management Information [unpublished]
15
Inadmissible Claims and Removal

At the heart of our New Plan for Immigration is a simple principle: fairness. Access to the
UK’s asylum system should be based on need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers.
An asylum system should not reward those who enter the UK illegally while other vulnerable
people, including women and children, are pushed aside.
We will therefore introduce a new approach. For the first time how somebody arrives in the
UK will impact on how their asylum claim progresses, and on their status in the UK if that
claim is successful.
Anyone who arrives into the UK illegally - where they could reasonably have claimed asylum in
another safe country – will be considered inadmissible to the asylum system, consistent with
the Refugee Convention. We will clarify key elements of the Refugee Convention in UK law.
Contingent on securing returns agreements, we will seek to rapidly return inadmissible
asylum seekers to the safe country of most recent embarkation.
We will also pursue agreements to effect removals to alternative safe third countries.
We have already taken steps to enshrine these principles in new immigration rules and will
now place them on a statutory footing through legislation. This includes ineligibility for EEA
nationals (and others from designated safe countries) to claim asylum in the UK, save for
exceptional circumstances.
A safe country is one in general where there is no real risk of persecution or harm to
individuals sent there, and which will not refoule such individuals. We will introduce a
rebuttable presumption that we can return individuals to all EEA member states and
other designated safe countries (likely to include countries such as Canada, the USA and
New Zealand).
We will continue to pursue returns agreements and arrangements with our international
partners as part of future migration partnerships. Every country has an obligation to control
its borders, accept and allow entry of its own nationals and to act responsibly to help prevent
loss of life and prevent criminal gangs from making a profit from illegal immigration.
We will also amend sections 77 and 78 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
so that it is possible to move asylum seekers from the UK while their asylum claim, or appeal
is pending.
This will keep the option open, if required in the future, to develop the capacity for offshore
asylum processing - in line with our international obligations.
Reception Centres and Accommodation

Those deemed inadmissible will be served with a notification upon arrival that the UK will
seek to return them to a safe country.
To help speed up processing of claims and the removal of people who do not have a
legitimate need to claim asylum in the UK, we plan to introduce new asylum reception
centres to provide basic accommodation and process claims. We will also maintain the
facility to detain people where removal is possible within a reasonable timescale. The use of
hotels to accommodate new arrivals who have entered the UK illegally will end.
The reception centre model, as used in many European countries including Denmark and
Switzerland, would provide basic accommodation in line with our statutory obligations, and
allow for decisions and any appeals following substantive rejection of an asylum claim to
be processed fairly and quickly onsite. We will set in legislation a new fast-track appeals
process – with safeguards to ensure procedural fairness.
We will also look to make fuller use of existing immigration bail powers, which provide for
residence conditions, reporting arrangements and monitoring.
Temporary Protection Status

If an inadmissible person cannot be removed to another country, we will be obliged
to process their claim. If they did not come to the UK directly, did not claim without
delay, or did not show good cause for their illegal presence, we will consider them for
temporary protection.
Temporary protection status will be for a temporary period, no longer than 30 months, after
which individuals will be reassessed for return to their country of origin or removal to another
safe country. Temporary protection status will not include an automatic right to settle in
the UK, family reunion rights will be restricted and there will be no recourse to public funds
except in cases of destitution.
People granted temporary protection status will be expected to leave the UK as soon as they
are able to or as soon as they can be returned or removed.
New typical asylum process

for individuals who arrive in the UK:
at a glance
This chart is for illustrative purposes only, the details at each stage have not been depicted.
Is the person No
inadmissible to
the UK asylum
system?
Granted Temporary
Asylum claim Protection
Yes considered Status only
which is kept
under review
No
Can the Refused
individual be Decision
removed? overturned
Appeal
Lodged*
Yes
*explained in further
detail in Chapter 5
Remove to a
safe third country Decision
upheld
An individual may be removed Return
to a safe third country to country
that they travelled through
or have a connection to, of origin
or a safe third country
with which the UK
has an agreement
Strengthening Well-Founded Fear of Persecution Test

We want to ensure victims of persecution are properly protected while at the same time
making it harder for unmeritorious claims to succeed.
We will therefore consult on a clear test against which any asylum claim can be assessed,
putting in place a more rigorous standard for testing the “well-founded fear of persecution”
a person must meet.
This test will have two elements. The first element is that the person is who they say they are
and that they are experiencing genuine fear of persecution. This will have to be proven to the
standard of “balance of probabilities” and will include a credibility assessment, considering all
the relevant evidence. This includes consideration of opportunities the person had to claim
asylum in other countries. If previous opportunities to make a claim have not been taken, or if
a claim is contradictory, that could impact on the credibility of a person’s testimony.
The second element will consider whether the claimant is likely to face persecution if they
return to their country of origin. This will need to be proven to the standard of “reasonable
likelihood”. If a person claims a persecution risk as a result of being part of a group, they will
have to establish that the group is suffering from systematic and widespread persecution.
Alternatively, the person who claimed will have to establish a risk that is personal and
individual to them.
We will also clarify in statute the definition of “persecution” to make clear the requirements
for qualifying for protection, in line with the Refugee Convention.
Assessing Age Appropriately

The Government is committed to protecting children and vulnerable people. But we
cannot allow adults to claim to be children. In 2019, the UK received more asylum claims
from unaccompanied children than any other European country, including Greece and
Italy. Since 2015, the UK has received, on average, more than 3,000 unaccompanied
asylum‑seeking children per year. Where age was disputed and resolved from 2016-2020,
54% were found to be adults.16
On average, the Home Office provides £46,000 each year to Local Authorities to look
after each unaccompanied asylum-seeking child.17 We cannot take lightly the very serious
safeguarding risks if people over 18 are treated as children and placed in settings, including
schools, with children. As well as the obvious safeguarding risks, it also reduces the
resources available to help other children.
The UK is one of the only countries in Europe not to use scientific age assessment methods
to help determine a person’s age when they arrive into the country. Various scientific
methods are used to assess age in, among others, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany and
the Netherlands.
We will therefore strengthen and clarify the framework for determining the age of people
seeking asylum. We will:
• Bring forward plans to introduce a new National Age Assessment Board (NAAB) to set out
the criteria, process and requirements to be followed to assess age, including using the
most up to date scientific technology. Such new age assessment criteria, once proposed
by the NAAB, will be set out in secondary legislation. NAAB functions may include
Home Office, 2021k

16
Home Office Internal Finance Information [unpublished]

17
acting as a first point of review for any Local Authority age assessment decision and
carrying out direct age assessments itself where required or where invited to do so by a
Local Authority;
• Legislate so that front-line immigration officers and other staff who are not social
workers are able to make reasonable initial assessments of age. Currently, an individual
will be treated as an adult where their physical appearance and demeanour strongly
suggests they are ‘over 25 years of age’. We are exploring changing this to ‘significantly
over 18 years of age’. Social workers will be able to make straightforward under/over 18
decisions with additional safeguards;
• Consider creating a requirement on Local Authorities to either undertake full age

assessments or refer to people to the NAAB for assessment where they have
reason to believe that someone’s age is being incorrectly given, in line with existing
safeguarding obligations;
• Consult on creating a fast-track statutory appeal right against age assessment decisions
of the NAAB to avoid excessive judicial review litigation.
Age Assessment: In practice

The current legal process to assess age is highly subjective and often subject to prolonged and
expensive legal disputes. Adult claimants can take advantage of a fragmented system to pass
themselves off as children, benefitting from additional protections properly reserved for the
most vulnerable.
As a result, many adults claim to be children. In some cases, multiple assessments are required
before confirming whether an individual is a child or not. The cost of repeated assessments
and legal challenges can exceed thousands of pounds of public money. The result is prolonged
uncertainty over many months, sometimes years, for the person to be assessed.
Conversely, we have examples of adults freely entering the UK care and school system, being
accommodated and educated with vulnerable children.
Our reforms will overhaul the end-to-end process for determining the age of claimants whose
age is uncertain, making it more consistent and robust from the outset, whilst harnessing new
scientific technologies alongside existing methods. The assessments made will be decisive with
any challenge being swiftly and conclusively resolved through a fast-track appeals process.
Chapter 5: Streamlining Asylum Claims and Appeals
We are seeing repeated unmeritorious claims, sometimes made at the very last minute,
which frequently frustrate the removal of people with no right to be in the UK – including the
removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs).
Justice is being delayed for those with genuine and important claims while valuable judicial
and court resources are being wasted. We must re-wire the asylum system to ensure that
it properly serves vulnerable people in need of protection and that our generosity is not
exploited by those with no legitimate claims.
Currently if a person’s asylum claim is rejected, they have an automatic right to appeal the
decision by referring it to the First Tier Immigration and Asylum Tribunal. Nearly everyone
who has their asylum claim rejected chooses to make this appeal. If the decision is upheld
the person claiming asylum has a further route of appeal to the Upper Tribunal. If at that point
they are not satisfied with the result, a decision can be appealed again at the Court of Appeal
and Supreme Court. It is possible for a person, having exhausted all the above processes, to
then bring a fresh new claim, in effect, starting the whole appeal process again.
It is also possible for someone to judicially review a Home Office decision - and they
frequently do - at various points in the process, including just before they are about to board
a plane for removal.
Simplified typical asylum appeals process: at a glance

This chart is for illustrative purposes only, the details at each stage have not been depicted.
Asylum appeal lodged
Overturned Upheld
First-tier Tribunal
Home Office decides Claimant decides

to appeal to appeal*
*If the claimant is refused

Yes Yes permission to appeal
Upper Tribunal to the Upper Tribunal
then the claimant could
No bring a Judicial Review
against that decision
Home Office may Claimant may
seek permission seek permission
to appeal to to appeal to
Court of Appeal Court of Appeal
No
Home Office Home Office

refusal overturned refusal upheld
Grant Return
refugee to country
status of origin
The reality is the system is more complex - people often bring multiple separate claims
and subsequent appeals. People also frequently judicially review decisions often at
the last minute
In 2019, there were 8,000 judicial reviews against Home Office immigration and asylum
decisions. Judges concluded 6,063 cases on paper, of which 90% were dismissed or refused,
with around 17% being deemed by the judge to be “Totally Without Merit”.18
This volume of cases takes up judicial time at all levels. There are many examples of illegal
migrants, those without status and Foreign National Offenders, bringing claim after claim of
different kinds over a period of years, which are often eventually dismissed. In the meantime,
by delaying removal, an individual can acquire additional rights to remain in the UK, such as
through marriage or parenting a child.
Last year, over 60 FNOs with no right to remain in the UK were identified for deportation
to Jamaica due to serious criminality including offences such as murder, rape and child
sexual exploitation. These individuals had extensive opportunity throughout the deportation
process to raise any reasons to challenge the deportation action. In the days prior to the
deportation flight, following a number of last-minute applications, only 13 FNOs were
deported. This meant that the deportation of a very large proportion of cases, including
FNOs with more serious convictions, had to be deferred. This is not an exceptional example
and occurs on many removal flights.
In one case, a criminal subject to deportation, very late in the process (just before their
removal), was able to make three sequential and separate claims to remain in the UK.
This included two appeals, which were found to be without merit, and a last-minute asylum
claim. The result was that removal from the UK was postponed and delayed.
Repeated claims: In Practice

A person who originally entered on a visa and was granted indefinite leave to remain
was subsequently convicted of a serious crime leading to a sentence of over 12 months’
imprisonment. As a result, following the 2007 Borders Act, a Deportation Order was issued.
Their subsequent appeal was dismissed by the court. Following the refusal by the court, they
made a number of applications across several years to stop the deportation action. These
included repeated further applications for asylum and repeated applications for judicial review.
All of these applications were refused.
Due to the multiple, often late legal challenges, the individual’s scheduled removal from the UK
had to be cancelled on numerous occasions.
Under the changes that this Government intends to make, an improved one-stop process will
require further asylum or human rights grounds to be brought together upfront and there will
be mechanisms for quickly disposing of unmeritorious claims, allowing for cases to reach their
conclusion more swiftly.
In 2019, new claims, legal challenges, or other issues were raised by 73% of people who
had been detained within the UK following immigration offences, resulting in release from
detention in 94% of cases instead of removal from the UK.19
On full evaluation, very few of these claims amounted to a valid reason to remain in the UK.
For issues raised during detention in 2017, 83% were ultimately unsuccessful.20
18
Ministry of Justice, 2021a
19
Home Office, 2021n
20
Home Office, 2021n
The number of further submissions applications made by people who are ‘Appeal Rights
Exhausted’ (ARE), which means they have no further grounds on which to appeal their
original decision, remains high. Whilst further submissions may be based on changes of
circumstances since the original claim or appeal, this is not always the case. We want to
ensure that people are able to bring all relevant evidence upfront and reduce the ability for
claimants to draw out the process by introducing new elements to their claims and launching
appeals, meaning they are kept within the system for extended periods of time.
The current appeals system can take years to complete an asylum appeal. As of May 2020,
32% of asylum appeals lodged in 2019 and 9% of appeals lodged in 2018 did not have a
known outcome.21
We want to ensure the asylum and appeals system is faster and fairer. Our end-to-end
reforms will aim to reduce the extent to which people can frustrate removals through
sequential or unmeritorious claims, appeals or legal action, while maintaining fairness,
ensuring access to justice and upholding the rule of law. This will achieve efficiencies in the
system as a whole - decreasing the costs of unnecessary litigation and failed removal actions
for the taxpayer and freeing up valuable judicial resources.
It is right that protection claims which are refused can be challenged, with appropriate
oversight by the courts. But it is not right that taxpayers are picking up the bill for sequential
unmeritorious claims and appeals, which can frustrate removal of those with no right to be
in the UK, and where relevant evidence could have been adduced at the beginning of the
appeals process. Our analysis of claims made by those detained and facing deportation
indicates that the majority of these claims are unfounded; it is not fair on those with genuine
and important claims who are having to wait longer as a consequence.22
We will therefore bring forward a suite of changes to:
• Develop a “good faith” requirement setting out principles for people and their
representatives when dealing with public authorities and the courts, such as not
providing misleading information or bringing evidence late where it was reasonable to do
so earlier;
• Introduce an expanded ‘one-stop’ process to ensure that asylum, human rights claims,
referrals as a potential victim of modern slavery and any other protection matters are
made and considered together, ahead of any appeal hearing. This requires people and
their representatives to present their case honestly and comprehensively – setting out
full details and evidence to the Home Office and not adding more claims later which could
have been made at the start;
• Provide more generous access to advice, including legal advice, to support people to
raise issues, provide evidence as early as possible and avoid last minute claims;
• Introduce an expedited process for claims and appeals made from detention, providing
access to justice while quickly disposing of any unmeritorious claims;
• Provide a quicker process for judges to take decisions on claims which the Home Office
refuse without the right of appeal, reducing delays and costs from judicial reviews;
• Introduce a new system for creating a panel of pre-approved experts (e.g. medical
experts) who report to the court, or require experts to be jointly agreed by parties;
Home Office, 2021g

21
22
Home Office, 2021n
• Expand the fixed recoverable costs regime to cover immigration judicial reviews
(JRs) and encourage the increased use of wasted costs orders in asylum and
immigration matters;
• Introduce a new fast-track appeal process. This will be for cases that are deemed to be
manifestly unfounded or new claims, made late. This will include late referrals for modern
slavery insofar as they prevent removal or deportation.
Good Faith Requirement

Anyone bringing a claim or a challenge in the courts and their representatives will be required
to act in good faith at all times. This means bringing any claims as soon as possible, telling
the truth and leaving the UK when they have no right to remain. Failure to act in Good Faith
may be considered when the Home Office or judge assess the credibility of someone’s
claim, particularly in the context of repeat or unmeritorious claims brought at the point of
removal action.
If someone has not acted in Good Faith this should impact the credibility of their claim and
testimony both in Home Office decision making and by the courts in any subsequent appeals.
‘One-stop’ Process
A new ‘one-stop’ process will require people to raise all protection-related issues upfront and
have these considered together and ahead of an appeal hearing where applicable.
This includes grounds for asylum, human rights or referral as a potential victim of modern
slavery. People who claim for any form of protection will be issued with a ‘one-stop’ notice,
requiring them to bring forward all relevant matters in one go at the start of the process.
We will introduce new powers that will mean decision makers, including judges, should give
minimal weight to evidence that a person brings after they have been through the ‘one-stop’
process, unless there is good reason.
This new process will not bar genuine claims from being considered but it will mean that the
credibility of the individual and the weight of their evidence will be considered in light of their
previous opportunities to present that evidence.
Appeals against protection or human rights decisions will be to the First Tier Tribunal and
then the Upper Tribunal as now and will include modern slavery matters insofar as they
prevent removal or deportation. We also want to ensure quicker processes for judges to
review refusal decisions by the Home Office when no in-country right of appeal is given.
This is intended to provide quick access to an appeal right for meritorious cases, whilst
swiftly disposing of unmeritorious claims.
Legal Advice
In order to increase the effectiveness of the ‘one stop’ process and ensure fair access to
justice we will consider how access to advice can be improved at different points in the
process. This includes ensuring that those prioritised for removal from the UK have access
to a new legal advice offer. This new advice offer will support people to bring their claims in
one go, when they are notified about removal action, rather than bringing late claims shortly
before scheduled removal or sequentially over an extended period of time.
Expedited Appeals
The Government has already taken several steps to streamline the operation of immigration
appeals. The Immigration and Asylum Chamber Reform Project seeks to deliver an efficient
and transparent service for users of the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber
(FtTIAC) that is simple, fair and accessible for everyone. Appeals will be progressed online
where appropriate and the process will ensure issues are narrowed in a case before
the hearing.
For cases that do proceed to a final hearing, hearings will be shorter and more focused. This
more efficient appeals system will ensure better value for the taxpayer, free up valuable
judicial time and capacity while also preventing unmeritorious appeals that can be a way of
preventing removal.
Expedited Appeals from Detention

We want to reinstate an accelerated appeal process that is fast enough to enable claims to
be dealt with from detention while ensuring that a person who is detained has fair access to
justice. We propose to introduce clear timescales for concluding the process, but it will need
to provide safeguards to allow cases to be adjourned or transferred out of the accelerated
process when it is in the interests of justice to do so. We will ensure in statute that this
process is established.
Fixed Recoverable Costs and Wasted Cost Orders

Most judicial reviews lodged in England and Wales are immigration-related and involve
considerable legal costs for the parties and the taxpayer.23 In the cases which the Home
Office ultimately wins, it is rarely able to recover costs. As part of our measures to promote
fairness, certainty and balance to the way in which costs are incurred in these cases, we
are considering extending ‘Fixed Recoverable Costs’ to apply to immigration-related judicial
reviews. Such a system would specify the amount in legal costs that the winning party can
recover from the losing party. By setting this out in advance, both sides will benefit from a
greater degree of certainty about the potential cost and risks attached to contesting a case.
We are also considering introducing reforms to encourage the use of Wasted Cost Orders
(WCO) in immigration and asylum matters by the court. To achieve this, we propose to
introduce a duty on the Immigration and Asylum Chambers of the First-tier Tribunal and
Upper Tribunal (FtTIAC) to consider applying a WCO in response to specified events or
behaviours, including failure to follow the directions of the court, or promoting a case
that is bound to fail. While the grant of a WCO is at the sole discretion of the judge we are
considering introducing a presumption in favour of making one. In addition, as WCOs only
cover the costs of the parties to the claim, we are also considering introducing a mechanism
to cover the court’s costs.
Home Office, 2020e

23
Expert Evidence for Court Proceedings

We want to establish a quicker and higher-quality system of expert evidence to assist the
discharge of justice.
At present, a very small number of medical and other experts act in a high proportion of
cases where expert witness evidence is provided to the court and are used to produce
evidence to corroborate the claimant’s case. We wish to ensure greater confidence in the
system by putting the independence of the experts beyond question. We will therefore
consider introducing a new system for creating a panel of pre-approved experts (e.g. medical
experts) who report to the court or require experts to be jointly agreed by the parties.
We want to ensure we are able to support the court with expert, accredited independent
witnesses who can provide information so that judges are able to make decisions on cases
with the best available information.
The Removals System: In Practice

An individual who was granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the United Kingdom had that leave
revoked following persistent offending leading to a high number of convictions with sentences
over 12 months in prison. The individual was subject to a Deportation Order, removing them to
their country of origin. This decision was upheld by the courts. On the day that the individual was
due to be removed they made an asylum claim, and once that was refused, the individual raised
matters to indicate they were a potential victim of modern slavery relating to incidents a number
of years prior to their arrival in the UK.
This was referred to the National Referral Mechanism, which is the UK system for identifying
and supporting victims of modern slavery. Given the current thresholds and the time taken to
make final decisions on these cases (currently an average of c.12 months), the individual was
released from detention and removal action was postponed. Following release from detention
this individual subsequently absconded and went on to commit further offences.
Chapter 6: Supporting Victims of Modern Slavery
The UK’s response to the evil of modern slavery is world-leading.

The 2015 Modern Slavery Act, pioneered by former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Theresa
May MP, was the first of its kind in Europe.
The Government remains committed to ensuring the police and the courts have the
necessary powers to bring perpetrators of modern slavery to justice, while giving victims the
support they need to rebuild their lives.
However, over recent years we have seen an alarming increase in the number of illegal
migrants, including Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) and those who pose a national security
risk to our country, seeking modern slavery referrals – enabling them to avoid immigration
detention and frustrate removal from our country.
When the Single Competent Authority, (which operates the National Referral Mechanism
(NRM)), has deemed there are Reasonable Grounds (RG) to believe an individual is a victim
of modern slavery, they are protected from removal from the UK pending a final decision
on their case. Current decision-making times mean this protection from removal is often in
place for over 12 months.
While they are protected from removal, they are also entitled to support, until a final
Conclusive Grounds (CG) decision is made about whether the individual is a confirmed victim
of modern slavery. Protection from removal, compounded by the fact the threshold for an RG
decision is low, means release from immigration detention is very likely, resulting in rising
abuse of the NRM.
NRM referrals more than doubled between 2017 and 2019 from 5,141 to 10,627.24 In 2019, of
those referred into the NRM after being detained within the UK (totalling 1,949), 89% received
a positive RG decision and 98% were released.25 More recently, child rapists, people who
pose a threat to national security and illegal migrants who have travelled to the UK from safe
countries have sought modern slavery referrals, which have prevented and delayed their
removal or deportation.
24
Home Office, 2020a
25
Home Office, 2021n
Given our expectation that referrals will continue to rise, we must act now to reform the
system and we will therefore consult on measures to:
• Identify victims as quickly as possible and enhance the support they receive, while
distinguishing more effectively between genuine and vexatious accounts of modern
slavery and enabling the removal of serious criminals and people who are a threat to the
public and UK national security;
• Improve the training given to First Responders, who are responsible for referring victims
into the NRM;
• Clarify the definition of “public order” to enable the UK to withhold protections

afforded by the NRM where there is a link to serious criminality or a serious risk to UK
national security;
• Strengthen our operational processes for considering Reasonable Grounds decisions and
consult on clarifying the Reasonable Grounds threshold to ensure decision-makers can
properly test any concerns that an individual is attempting to misuse the system;
• Fulfil our obligations under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against
Trafficking in Human Beings (ECAT) to continue to identify and protect genuine victims.
Training for First Responders

It is important that First Responders - including Local Authorities, the police and immigration
officers - have the training they need to enable them to quickly identify genuine victims and
to assess whether an account of modern slavery is credible. We have already launched a
new training package to support First Responders in their duties, which covers the issues
they should consider when deciding whether to make a referral to the NRM. We will further
strengthen the support given to the First Responders working across the immigration
system to reinforce their understanding of the indicators of modern slavery whilst also
ensuring they are able to assess and raise any concerns about credibility. We want to ensure
genuine victims are identified as early as possible and are given the support they need.
Public Order Grounds Exemption

The UK is a signatory of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in
Human Beings (ECAT), which sets out our international obligations to identify and support
victims of modern slavery. Article 13 provides for a recovery and reflection period to be
given to potential victims of modern slavery for a minimum of 30 days, during which they are
protected from removal. ECAT contains an exception “if grounds of public order prevent it or
if it is found that victim status is being claimed improperly”. However, ECAT does not define
such grounds, and the lack of a clear domestic policy on what constitutes this has inhibited
deployment of this exemption in the UK. This is resulting in individuals who have committed
acts of serious criminality or who may pose a threat to UK national security evading
detention and removal from the UK.
We will therefore consult on a definition of “public order grounds” to enable protections of
the NRM to be withheld in certain cases and allow removal to occur. We will consult on a
draft definition, the focus of which is serious criminality (specifically, where there is a prison
sentence of 12 months or more) or risks to national security. The expectation will be that a
decision to apply the exemption would be issued alongside the RG decision where relevant,
ensuring a recovery period is not granted to an individual inappropriately. However, it could
be made later if information comes to light suggesting an exemption applies.
This will bring the UK in line with other ECAT signatories. For example, Germany states
that a recovery period need not apply if the continued stay of the foreign national would be
detrimental to public safety and order or other substantial national interests.
A new Reasonable Grounds Test and Credibility

ECAT also states that support should be provided where a signatory finds “reasonable
grounds to believe” that an individual has been a victim of trafficking. However, the test for an
RG decision in the UK, as set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, is that we have “reasonable
grounds to believe that a person may be a victim” and in the Statutory Guidance published
under Section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is “I suspect but cannot prove” that the
person is a victim of modern slavery – a lower threshold.
We will therefore consult on amending the Modern Slavery Act 2015 definition to “reasonable
grounds to believe that a person is a victim” and will also consult on amending the Statutory
Guidance definition to make clear that the test applied in practice will be “reasonable grounds
to believe, based on objective factors but falling short of conclusive proof, that a person is a
victim of modern slavery”.
We will also confirm for the first time in legislation that the balance of probabilities is the
right threshold for the Conclusive Grounds (CG) decision. ECAT provides for a two-stage
identification process to confirm whether or not someone is a victim of modern slavery, and
it has been upheld in the courts that the final CG decision should be made on the balance
of probabilities.
For both decision points, we will make clear in associated guidance that the threshold will not
be met on the basis of an unsubstantiated claim. In making both RG and CG decisions, we will
consider providing for a more careful analysis of credibility, including carefully considering
the implications of contradictions and previous opportunities to have raised modern
slavery matters. It will be expected that any modern slavery issues which have a bearing on
immigration status should be raised as part of a ‘one-stop’ process where relevant.
We will also consult on seeking bilateral or multilateral agreements with safe, ECAT-signatory
countries which would enable the removal of victims of modern slavery ensuring their needs
are met in the country to which they are removed in line with our obligations under ECAT.
Providing Victims of Modern Slavery with Increased Support

As well as acting to prevent abuse of the NRM, it is also right that we consider options to
improve the assistance we provide to victims of modern slavery.
For some victims, certainty over their immigration status is a crucial enabler to their
recovery and to assisting the police in prosecuting their exploiters.
We will make clear, for the first time in legislation, that confirmed victims with long-term
recovery needs linked to their modern slavery exploitation may be eligible for a grant of
temporary leave to remain (subject to any public order exemption) to assist their recovery,
building on our end-to-end needs-based approach to supporting victims. We will also make
clear that temporary leave to remain may be available to victims who are helping the police
with prosecutions and bringing their exploiters to justice.
When Parliamentary time allows, we will also clarify our international obligations to victims
in UK law to ensure victims are safeguarded and supported based on their individual
modern slavery related recovery needs and ensure robust, effective and meaningful
decision‑making. This will include provisions to enable flexibility in future delivery models.
We will continue to strengthen the criminal justice system response to modern slavery and
will be providing further funding to drive forward work to increase prosecutions and build
policing capability to investigate and respond to organised immigration crime. A key focus
of this work will be ensuring that victims of modern slavery receive the support they need
to engage in the criminal justice system to ensure that perpetrators face justice. We are
considering testing a new approach which would involve embedding specialist workers
within police forces to support victims and law enforcement officers on investigations.
To prevent people from being drawn into this terrible crime, we will also consider establishing
a modern slavery prevention fund. This will bolster our efforts to eradicate modern slavery by
supporting interventions by non-governmental organisations and key practitioners to tackle
this heinous crime at its source.
We will also ensure that modern slavery victims receive ready access to specific mental
health support to help them recover from their experiences of exploitation. We are already
putting in place an enhanced needs-based assessment that will ensure that victims receive
holistic support and assistance to aid recovery, including private counselling and mental
health support where appropriate.
From January to September 2020, there were 1,041 NRM26 referrals for exploitation linked
to county lines, which is over 6 times the number of referrals received in the same period
in 2017. 89% (925) of these referrals were for UK nationals (including dual nationals) and the
vast majority were for males who were exploited as children. We will improve our support
for child victims of modern slavery, including those involved in county lines and other types
of exploitation. We are already rolling out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardians
(ICTGs) service, which provides advice and support for trafficked children, irrespective of
nationality, and who can advocate on a child’s behalf. The delivery model includes a Regional
Practice Co-ordinator (RPC), who offers expert advice to professionals working directly
with trafficked children, including county lines cases, on how best to safeguard and support
children in their care.
We will also pilot a new way of identifying child victims of modern slavery, which will enable
decisions to be taken within existing safeguarding structures by local authorities, police
and health workers, who have a duty to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare
of all children. This approach will enable decisions about whether a child is a victim of
modern slavery, including through county lines exploitation, to be made by those involved
in their care. It will ensure the decisions made are closely aligned with the provision of local
needs‑based support and any law enforcement response.
Finally, we will review the Government’s pioneering 2014 Modern Slavery Strategy in order
to develop a revised strategic approach that builds upon the considerable progress we have
made to date, adapting to the evolving nature of these terrible crimes. This will allow us
to identify victims at the earliest opportunity and to ensure that support and protection is
focused on those who need it most.
National Referral Mechanism statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

26
Abuse of Modern Slavery Protections: An Example

An individual who had entered the UK illegally was convicted of a string of offences,
including drugs supply. The individual was sentenced to several years in prison and under the
2007 Borders Act was subsequently deported from the UK.
Within a few months, the individual returned to the UK in breach of the deportation order and
was encountered by the police. The individual was deported from the UK again but subsequently
returned and made a protection claim. The protection claim was refused and the individual was
detained in preparation for removal. Whilst in detention the individual raised matters indicating
they may be a victim of modern slavery and was referred into the National Referral Mechanism
(NRM). The individual’s account met the Reasonable Grounds (RG) threshold and a positive
decision was made. Due to the positive RG decision, the individual was released from detention
and is still in the UK, receiving protections under the NRM.
Chapter 7: Disrupting Criminal Networks Behind

People Smuggling
Illegal immigration is facilitated by serious organised criminals exploiting people and

profiting from human misery. The same criminal gangs and networks are also responsible for
other illicit activity ranging from drug and firearms trafficking to modern slavery and serious
violent crimes.
We are already working extensively with our partners in Europe, especially France and
Belgium, to prevent migrants attempting to make their way illegally to the UK. This includes
work funded through overseas development aid and activities of law enforcement and
intelligence partners including the National Crime Agency (NCA). We will continue to work
with them and all operational partners and agencies to tackle the upstream causes of
illegal immigration.
The criminals that facilitate dangerous and illegal journeys into the UK endanger the lives of
those that undertake them. They also endanger the lives of emergency service workers and
Border Force officers who are called out to respond to them.
It is unacceptable that people seeking to enter our country illegally, including those who
have crossed the Channel by small boat, are not appropriately penalised for breaking the law.
Tougher penalties would also deter some people from undertaking these dangerous journeys
altogether, especially where they originate from manifestly safe European countries with
well-functioning asylum systems like France.
Last year, a young family including children lost their lives at sea trying to cross the Channel
by small boat. In 2019, 39 people lost their life attempting to enter the country in a sealed
refrigerated cargo container.
It is unacceptable that the criminals responsible for people smuggling are not always
adequately penalised for their harmful and life-endangering actions.
To stop the deaths, we must break the business model of the people smugglers. To do
so we must better deter illegal migration and strengthen the protection of our borders.
We will therefore:
• Introduce tougher criminal offences for those attempting to enter the UK illegally
including raising the penalty for illegal entry;
• Widen existing powers to tackle those facilitating illegal immigration, through acts
like piloting small boats, including raising the maximum sentence for facilitation to
life imprisonment;
• Provide Border Force with additional powers to:

– Search unaccompanied containers within the port or freight environment for the
purposes of immigration where they believe people are seeking to conceal their entry
to the UK;
– Seize and dispose of any vessels, including donating any seaworthy vessels
to charity;
– Stop and redirect vessels and those on board away from the UK where persons are
suspected of seeking to enter the UK illegally. This requires agreement from the
receiving port or country if the redirection is to land;
• Increase the penalty to a maximum of 5 years in prison for Foreign National Offenders
who return to the UK in breach of a deportation order;
• Overhaul the Clandestine Civil Penalty Regime process by consulting on:

– Increasing the maximum penalty, currently £2000, to ensure that it provides enough
incentive to comply with the requirements of the schemes;
– The introduction of a new penalty for failure to secure a vehicle, regardless of
whether an illegal migrant is found on board or not;
– Expanding the scheme to entail levying a penalty on all hauliers where a migrant is
found in their vehicle, regardless of load security;
– Reviewing accreditation for hauliers who are repeatedly found in breach;
• Implement an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to identify and block the
entry of those who present a threat to the UK.
Criminal Offences for Illegal Entry and Facilitating Entry

It is currently a criminal offence to enter or be in the UK without status or permission.
This offence is a summary offence carrying a maximum penalty of 6 months’ imprisonment
with a fine and was first introduced in the Immigration Act 1971.
Under this offence we intend to include seeking to enter the UK illegally and to increase the
maximum penalty to deter people from entering the UK illegally.
We are also clear that to save lives we must break the criminal gang’s business model.
We have already set out in Immigration Rules that claims for asylum cannot be made at sea.
We will now strengthen existing facilitation offences to take tougher action against anyone
willing to risk lives facilitating a migrant’s illegal entry into the UK, such as by piloting a
small boat.
Each attempt at illegal entry risks life and the penalties for those who facilitate illegal entry
should reflect that. We will therefore increase the maximum sentence from 14 years to
life imprisonment.
Border Force Powers

Border Force already has a range of powers and capabilities to deal with maritime threats,
reinforced during 2020, but we will now strengthen these further. We will introduce new
powers to target the increasing use of vessels, both small and large, by criminal gangs to
facilitate illegal entry to the UK. These powers will enable Border Force to stop and redirect
vessels out of UK territorial seas that they suspect are being used to facilitate illegal entry to
the UK. This power also includes the ability to return vessels intercepted, and those on board,
to the country from which they started their journey, subject to that country agreeing to the
vessel and persons’ return.
We will also strengthen other powers to include the seizure of vessels used to facilitate illegal
entry to the UK, wherever they are encountered, and a more flexible approach for disposal or
donation to local charities where appropriate.
Moreover, in order to mitigate potential displacement of illegal entry through other routes
by the strengthening of ‘at sea’ powers, we will ensure Border Force officers have enhanced
powers to search for persons concealed in freight containers that have been offloaded at
UK ports.
Penalties for Foreign National Offenders

Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) cause a great deal of harm to their victims as well as the
safety of our communities. We will be relentless in our pursuit of justice for victims and will
vigorously pursue the removal of those who come to our country, commit crimes and have no
right to stay in the UK.
To deter any FNO from attempting to re-enter the UK after they have already been served
with a deportation order, and left the UK, we will increase the maximum sentence for
returning in breach of a deportation order from 6 months to 5 years imprisonment.
Civil Penalties for Illegal Entry

A significant number of people entering the UK illegally arrive through concealment in
vehicles travelling into the UK by tourist and freight transport routes. Despite the extensive
work with overseas partners to strengthen our shared borders and enhance our strategic
partnerships, this method of illegal entry continues and endangers the life of those involved.
Under the current Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Regime, a maximum penalty of up
to £2,000 can be imposed for every person found on board vehicles that have not been
adequately secured, up to a statutory maximum of £4,000, where both driver and haulier
are penalised. However, the fine level has not been changed for nearly 20 years and the
current regime is not having enough of an effect as a high proportion of drivers and hauliers
are not taking the steps required to secure vehicles. In 2020, there were 1,869 cases where
clandestine entrants were detected in vehicles with inadequate security, despite the
Covid-19 pandemic causing a lower volume of traffic.27
We therefore propose to increase the maximum penalty per person found entering illegally
and will consult on what amount would encourage greater compliance to better reflect the
costs involved in managing and removing those who enter our country illegally.

27
To increase the deterrent effect of the scheme and to drive up levels of vehicle security, we
also plan to legislate to extend the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Regime to introduce a
new penalty to also cover hauliers found with an unsecured vehicle, regardless of whether
clandestine entrants are found on board or not.
We will consult with industry, on amending the code of practice, to set revised standards on
minimum expected security levels on vehicles. This will take account of advances in vehicle
security technologies since the regime was first introduced. We will also consult on another
possible approach of imposing a penalty in all cases where a migrant is found on a lorry, even
where the vehicle has been secured. We also wish to explore with industry whether there are
other more extensive measures which would help to drive up compliance with the scheme
and encourage greater numbers of drivers and hauliers to take more responsibility for
countering the threat from illegal entry.
Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme (ETA)

To fully digitise our legal future borders system, we will legislate to establish and enforce
Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs). This will mean, in the same way as countries like the
United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, before a person travels to the UK for a
visit, they will need to apply for permission where aspects of any criminality must be provided
through self-declaration. This will give the UK more control of our borders, improve our
capability to count people in and out and ensure we can do more to prevent criminals from
travelling to the UK. We will also extend the Carrier Liability Scheme to ensure that carriers
check permission to travel before they bring an individual to the UK.
Border Control: In Practice

The situation, as it currently exists, is not sustainable. We must prevent illegal entry and break
the business models of criminals responsible for exploiting vulnerable adults and children.
Examples:
An organised crime group was identified as being responsible for the illegal trafficking and
facilitation of minors. In total, the crime group was implicated for around seven attempted
facilitations, involving almost 50 minors in total. The concealments the crime group used in
these cases were small spaces with no means of escape for the occupants in the event of an
emergency. Other examples include crossings of the English Channel by small boat carrying
vulnerable adults and children. In one instance, several minors were found without any
life‑jackets and had to be rescued by Border Force from a small boat.
Repeated illegal entry attempts are being made by individuals with no leave to enter the UK:
one individual had attempted to enter the UK multiple times via small boat within the same year.
Another individual claimed asylum in a European country, and then travelled to the UK via small
boat on multiple separate occasions, claiming asylum each time.
Under the proposed reforms, individuals who attempt to enter illegally will be liable to tougher
criminal offences. Wider measures would help to prevent dangerous, illegal journeys from being
made and deter the actions of those who facilitate these journeys. Finally, we will give the UK’s
Border Force more powers to tackle these challenges.
Chapter 8: Enforcing Removals including Foreign

National Offenders (FNOs)
It is an essential responsibility of any Government to enforce and promote compliance

with immigration laws, ensuring the swift return of those not entitled to be in the UK.
Under section 32 of the UK Borders Act 2007, the Home Secretary is under a duty to make
a deportation order against a foreign national if they have been sentenced to at least
12 months for an offence in the UK, unless an exception applies. We do not propose to change
these provisions.
In 2019, enforced returns from the UK fell to 7,192 - 22% lower than the previous year, and
continuing a downward trend since 2013.28
FNO returns have also fallen in recent years, from 6,437 in 2016 to 5,118 in 2019.29 There are
now over 10,000 Foreign National Offenders, many of whom have committed serious
offences, at liberty in the UK.30 There are also 42,000 failed asylum seekers who have not left
the UK.31
Whilst there are various contributing factors to these trends, the increased pattern
of repeated and often last-minute claims is challenging our ability to lawfully remove
individuals. We need to legislate further to ensure that people who have no right to be in the
UK, especially those who are a danger to our citizens are swiftly removed from the UK.
To achieve this, we will:
• Consult with Local Authority partners and stakeholders on implementing the provisions
of the Immigration Act 2016 to remove support from failed asylum-seekers who have no
right to remain in the UK;
• Consider whether to more carefully control visa availability where a country does not
co‑operate with receiving their own nationals who have no right to be in the UK;
• Increase the early removal provision for Foreign National Offenders who leave the UK
from 9 months to 12 months to encourage departure and also add a new ‘stop the clock’
provision so that they must complete their sentence if they return. This would be in
addition to any sentence for returning in breach of a deportation order;
28
Home Office, 2021b
29
Home Office, 2021b
30
Home Office, 2021c
31
Home Office, 2021l
Chapter 8: Enforcing Removals including Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) 41
• Amend the list of factors for consideration of granting bail and the conditions of bail;
• Place in statute a single, standardised minimum notice period for migrants to access
justice prior to removal and confirm in statute that notice need not be re-issued following
a previous failed removal, for example where the person has physically disrupted
their removal.
Removal of Failed Asylum Seekers

It is not in the national interest that individuals who have been found to have no basis to stay
in the UK, are able to continue to stay in the UK, accessing support from the state while not
co-operating with immigration directions.
Working with local authorities and partners we will seek to enforce returns – including
removing asylum support for individuals who fail to comply with our attempts to return them.
Primary legislation is already in place to achieve this. We will now move forward and use
these powers to deliver a new fair but firm system.
We also expect our international partners to work with us on facilitating the return of their
own nationals back to their country where those nationals have no lawful right to remain
in the UK. We will seek to use the range of levers we have to improve returns co-operation,
including considering whether to more carefully control visa availability where a country
does not co-operate with receiving their own nationals who have no right to be in the UK.
Immigration Bail
We will add to the list of considerations for granting bail, set out in Schedule 10 to the 2016
Immigration Act, that non-compliance with proper immigration processes (without good
reason) can be considered in deciding not to grant bail.
Early Removal Scheme

To remove Foreign National Offenders serving prison sentences in the UK, where deportation
is being pursued, offenders will be subject to the provisions of the Early Removal Scheme
(ERS). This Scheme allows for offenders who are subject to a fixed-length sentence to be
removed during their sentence for the purpose of immediate deportation. The ERS provides
a window at the end of the sentence, during which the prisoner can be deported.
This window will be increased from 9 months to 12 months, subject to serving at least 25%
of the full sentence in prison. We will introduce a ‘stop the clock’ provision so that an FNO’s
sentence is paused following removal and will be reactivated in the event the FNO returns
to the UK. This would be in addition to any sentence for returning in breach of a deportation
order, which will be increased from 6 months to a maximum of 5 years in prison.
Removal of Foreign National Offenders: In Practice

A Foreign National Offender was convicted of serious offences in the UK, leading to a prison
sentence of over four years. Following the dismissal of their appeal against removal, they were
deported. After their deportation, on more than one occasion, they were refused entry to the
UK as an individual who was subject to a Deportation Order (DO). However, they subsequently
managed to return to the UK in breach of their DO and received a short sentence of less than
6 months for this offence. Whilst in the UK, having entered in breach of their DO, the individual
made a number of applications, including asylum claims and a judicial review, all of which were
dismissed or refused. This individual was deported from the UK for a second time more than
5 years after their original appeal against deportation was dismissed by the courts. Under the
proposed reforms, the maximum sentence for a foreign national offender returning in breach
of a deportation order will increase from 6 months to 5 years to deter people from entering the
UK illegally.
Chapter 9: Engagement and Consultation 43
Chapter 9: Engagement and Consultation
The Government published a comprehensive improvement plan in response to the Windrush

Lessons Learned Review and is resolutely committed to transformative change across
the entire Home Office. This means ensuring this work is progressed transparently, whilst
engaging meaningfully with stakeholders and ensuring equalities impacts are assessed.
We are also committed to upholding all of our international obligations, including the
European Convention on Human Rights, the Refugee Convention and the UN Convention on
the Law of the Sea.
To inform the proposals set out in this policy statement and to ensure we can deliver
effective legislative change across the system, we are initiating a comprehensive
consultation and engagement process which will commence from 24 March. The process
will be delivered in partnership with an insight and strategy firm, in line with established
principles, as well as taking into account any other relevant statutory duties. As part of this
process, we want to listen to a wide range of views from stakeholders and sectors, as well as
members of the public.
Further details about this process are set out in the information accompanying
this publication.
References
Bolt, D. (2020) ‘An inspection of the Home Office’s response to in-country clandestine
arrivals (“lorry drops”) and to irregular migrants arriving via “small boats” (May 2019 –
December 2019)’. Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. November 2020.
(viewed 11 March 2021).
Eurostat (2021a) ‘Resettled Persons – Annual Data’. Updated 09/03/2021.
Eurostat (2021b) ‘Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex – annual
aggregated data (rounded)’. Modified 3 February 2021. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Frontex (2019) ‘Migratory Map’. FRAN and JORA data as of February 2021.
Home Office (2020a) ‘Modern Slavery: National Referral Mechanism and Duty to Notify
Statistics UK, Quarter 3 2020 – July to September’. 5 November 2020. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2020b) ‘Immigration Statistics Data Tables, year ending September 2020’.
Home Office (2020c) ‘Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2020d) ‘Impact Assessment – Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa’.
Home Office (2020e) ‘Home Office Annual Report and Accounts: 2019 to 2020’. 21 July 2020.
Home Office (2021a) ‘Asylum and Resettlement Summary Tables– Year ending December
2020’. Immigration statistics data tables, year ending December 2020. Published 25 February
2021. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2021b) ‘How many people are detained or returned?’. 25 February 2021.
Home Office (2021c) ‘Immigration Enforcement Transparency Data Q4 2020’.
26 February 2021. (viewed 17 March 2021).
Home Office (2021d) ‘Immigration and Protection Q4 2020’. 26 February 2021.
References 45
Home Office (2021e) ‘Asylum Support – Asylum and Resettlement Datasets’. 25 February 2021.
Home Office (2021f) ‘Asylum Appeals – Asylum and Resettlement Datasets’. 25 February 2021.
Home Office (2021g) ‘Asylum and Resettlement Datasets’. 25 February 2021.
Home Office (2021h) ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2020’.
Home Office (2021i) ‘Returns – Immigration Statistics data tables, year ending December
2020’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2021j) ‘Immigration Statistics: Asylum and Resettlement – Family Reunion visa
grants’. 25 February 2021. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2021k) Home Office (2021g) ‘Age Disputes - Asylum and Resettlement Datasets’.
25 February 2021. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2021l) ‘Immigration and Protection: UK Visa & Immigration Transparency Data
Q4 2020’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2021m) ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Home Office (2021n) ‘Issues raised by people facing return in immigration detention’.
Home Office (2021) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-
mechanism-statistics
Immigration Enforcement, UK Visas and Immigration, and Border Force (2021) ‘Immigration
Enforcement Data: February 2021’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
Kone, Z., Ruiz, I., Vargas-Silva, C. (2019) ‘Refugees and the UK Labour Market’. Compas.
Ministry of Justice (2021a) ‘Tribunal Statistics Quarterly October to December 2020’.
Ministry of Justice (2021b) ‘Civil Justice Statistics Quarterly: October to December 2020’.
OECD (2020) ‘Aid by DAC members increases in 2019 with more aid to the poorest countries’.
16 April 2020. (viewed 11 March 2021).
UNHCR (2019) ‘Global Trends – Forced Displacement 2019’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
UNHCR (2020a) ‘Refugee Data Finder’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
UNHCR (2020b) ‘Resettlement Data’. (viewed 11 March 2021).
CCS0820091708
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Policy Statement

Chapter 1: Overview of current system 5

Chapter 2: Protecting those Fleeing Persecution, Oppression and Tyranny 11

Chapter 3: Ending Anomalies and Delivering Fairness in British Nationality Law  15

Chapter 4: Disrupting Criminal Networks and Reforming the Asylum System 17

Chapter 5: Streamlining Asylum Claims and Appeals 24

Chapter 6: Supporting Victims of Modern Slavery  31

Chapter 7: Disrupting Criminal Networks Behind People Smuggling  36

Chapter 8: Enforcing Removals including Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) 40

Chapter 9: Engagement and Consultation 43

Rt Hon Priti Patel MP

Chapter 1: Overview of current system

Many asylum seekers come

In 2020, 8,500 people arrived

142,000 illegal border crossings

The UK has 109,000 outstanding In 2019, the UK received

Top 5 European countries for arrivals

Protecting the UK border

2019 11% 2020 50% People have died

Grant rate Refusal rate

Home Office Appeal stage

Refused Appeals withdrawn 4%

*13% of applications are withdrawn before a decision is reached

Enforced Returns 2,000

Chapter 2: Protecting those Fleeing Persecution,

• British National (Overseas): We have introduced a new pathway to citizenship for

• Ensure resettlement programmes are responsive to emerging international crises –

The UK’s commitment to resettling refugees will continue to be a multi-year commitment

Family Reunion Rights

New Humanitarian Routes

Support for Refugee Integration

Kone et al, 2019

We also want a higher proportion of refugees to be supported by Community Sponsorship

Access to Work for Refugees in the UK

Chapter 3: Ending Anomalies and Delivering Fairness

• Creating further flexibility to waive residence requirements for naturalisation in

Ending Anomalies in British Nationality Provisions

Nationality Anomalies: case studies

Home Office Internal Data and Analysis [unpublished]

Chapter 4: Disrupting Criminal Networks and

• Create a robust approach to age assessment to ensure we act as swiftly as possible to

Inadmissible Claims and Removal

Reception Centres and Accommodation

Temporary Protection Status

New typical asylum process

Strengthening Well-Founded Fear of Persecution Test

Assessing Age Appropriately

Home Office, 2021k

Home Office Internal Finance Information [unpublished]

• Consider creating a requirement on Local Authorities to either undertake full age

Age Assessment: In practice

Chapter 5: Streamlining Asylum Claims and Appeals

Simplified typical asylum appeals process: at a glance

Asylum appeal lodged

Home Office decides Claimant decides

*If the claimant is refused

Home Office Home Office

Repeated claims: In Practice

Home Office, 2021g

Chapter 2: Protecting those Fleeing Persecution, Oppression and Tyranny 11

Chapter 3: Ending Anomalies and Delivering Fairness in British Nationality Law 15

Chapter 4: Disrupting Criminal Networks and Reforming the Asylum System 17

Chapter 5: Streamlining Asylum Claims and Appeals 24

Chapter 6: Supporting Victims of Modern Slavery 31

Chapter 7: Disrupting Criminal Networks Behind People Smuggling 36

Chapter 8: Enforcing Removals including Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) 40

Chapter 9: Engagement and Consultation 43