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"I've not done nothing wrong but still..."
"I've not done nothing wrong but still..."
Cool Person
Cool Person
The history of immigration in the UK is fraught with conflicting values. Immigration prior to WWII was significantly lower than at present. The British Nationality Act of 1948 gave subjects of the British Empire the right to live and work in the UK, but immigration numbers remained relatively low even with this act in place. Even as the British Empire dissolved between WWII and the 1990s, the foreign-born population in the UK grew by only two million.
Due to new policies enacted by the Labour party in the 1990s, immigration revved up to an unprecedented scale. The number of immigrants in England and Wales soared to nearly four million by 2011. Anti-immigration sentiments increased during this time. A mix of scare tactics and propaganda put forth by both Labour and Tory politicians created enduring anti-immigration attitudes.
The terms migrant, asylum-seeker, and refugee are not interchangeable. Each refers to a different group of people who fall under the umbrella term "immigrant". These definitions are adapted from Habitat for Humanity UK.
The terms migrant, asylum-seeker, and refugee are not interchangeable. Each refers to a different group of people who fall under the umbrella term "immigrant". These definitions are adapted from Habitat for Humanity UK.
Migrant: Migrants choose to move in order to improve their lives: finding work, seeking a better education, reuniting with family. Their movement is not motivated by a direct threat or persecution.
Refugee: Refugees are people fleeing armed conflicts or persecution. There were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014 according to UNHCR. Their situation is so perilous that they cross national borders to seek safety in nearby countries and become recognized as refugees with access to assistance from states and aid organizations. Refugees are protected by international law, specifically the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Asylum-Seeker: An asylum-seeker has claimed to be a refugee but hasn’t been evaluated by the state. This person applies for asylum on the grounds that returning to their country would lead to persecution on account of race, religion, nationality or political beliefs. Not every asylum seeker will be recognized as a refugee, but every refugee is initially an asylum-seeker.
A security guard patrols the perimiter of Yarl's Wood.
"Most of the undocumented population in the UK is made up of people who came here legally, but subsequently lost their status, very often through no fault of their own.”
"Most of the undocumented population in the UK is made up of people who came here legally, but subsequently lost their status, very often through no fault of their own.”
Between WWII and the present day, immigration policy in the UK has changed to accommodate, for example, free migration between the Carribean and UK. These accomodations fell out of favor in recent years, partly due to rising anti-immigration sentiments. Carribean-born nationals who moved to the UK between 1948 to 1970 were once granted immigration rights without a full citizenship. In the 2000s, this sceme fell apart and some members of the Windrush Generation were wrongly deported. This caused a huge backlash against the Home Office and empowered pro-immigration groups.
Carribean-born immigrants had some immigration privileges in the 20th century, but these would be contested in the 2010s.
Anti-immigration protests have taken place across the UK.
In 2015, there was a so-called "migrant crisis" when the number of immigrants increased rapidly according to some sources. Newspapers reported skewed data and it inflamed widespread anti-immigrant sentiment. The crisis, however, was not the fault of immigrants. Rather, the immigration controls relaxed under the Labour Government from 1997-2010 created more legal opportunities for immigration. The subsequent Tory-hevy government tried to roll back these allowances to stem the perceived explosion of immigration.
The net migration to the UK has increased steadily since the 60s, but remains low compared to countries on the continent. (Migrant Watch UK)
Brexit & Immigration
Brexit & Immigration
In 2016, the UK chose to withdraw from the European Union ("EU"). This process was nicknamed Brexit and continued until late 2020. Negotiations included changing immigration laws for UK nationals in the EU and vise versa. EU citizens were granted leave to stay in the UK if they applied through the appropriate legal channels.
The changes with UK-EU laws disastrously impacted Polish and Ukrainian immigrants. Since the Brexit proceedings began, immigrants from these two countries have been deported at increasing rates.
Non-EU migrants must prove they have a job with a salary of at least £30,000 per year to immigrate to the UK. This is expected to negatively impact the service and food industries that have lower pay grades and cater to migrant workers. Asylum-seekers do not have the same financial requirements, but many still need to apply for financial support from the government while their claim is decided. For people who immigrated illegally, they can claim their right to remain by proving they have a valid tenant agreement, pay taxes and bills, and have a personal bank account.
"For some people, at least, ending freedom of movement - and hence restoring 'control' over immigration - may be more important than guaranteeing lower numbers of migrants." (The Guardian)
Check out the map below to see where immigrant detention centers are located worldwide.
Check out the map below to see where immigrant detention centers are located worldwide.
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