LONDON: The opposition Conservative party in Britain has announced plans for a tough new crackdown on illegal migration and on foreign nationals, including Indians, who commit crimes in the UK.
The Tories on Monday revealed they have tabled amendments to Labour’s Borders Bill which will require the UK govt to stop issuing visas to nationals of countries who do not take back their own citizens – including criminals – that Britain wishes to deport.
They have also tabled an amendment to require a foreign national convicted of any crime to be removed from the UK, as well as anyone who has been charged with, or convicted of, immigration offences.
This replaces current provisions where a prison sentence of one year is required before removal is required, and even then removal can be frustrated by asylum and human rights claims.
The amendment will end exceptions granted by modern slavery, human rights and asylum laws.
This is on top of the proposal announced at the weekend to disapply the Human Rights Act for immigration matters so that UK courts can only follow UK law.
Around 100,000 Indian citizens are estimated to be in Britain illegally.
In 2021, the UK and India signed an MoU on a migration and mobility partnership that included provisions on returns. Of the roughly 22,800 people who left the UK via enforced or voluntary return in the year ending Sept 30, 2023, 15% (3,439) were Indian, according to the Migration Observatory. Two hundred and ninety-two Indians arrived in the UK illegally on small boats in 2024.
As of Dec 31, 2024, there were 305 Indian citizens in prison in the UK, according to statistics from UK’s ministry of justice.
Separate stats, obtained by the Daily Telegraph under freedom of information laws, show Indian nationals were convicted of 3,242 crimes between 2021 and 2023 – a crime rate of 93.4 per 10,000 residents. Of these 148 were sexual, accounting for the third highest number of sex offence convictions.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is at committee stage and has two sittings this week.
The proposed clauses by the Tories are already on the amendment paper and will be voted on by the bill committee.
A Conservative party spokesman said: “Some countries refuse to take back their own citizens with no right to be in the UK – so it is reasonable that the UK does not issue visas to nationals of those countries. This will encourage countries to take their own citizens back.”
It has been reported that Pakistan refused to take back Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Qari Abdul Rauf despite multiple attempts to deport him. He has been released from prison and remains in the UK.
MP Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said: “These tough new measures show the Conservatives are prepared to do whatever it takes to deport foreign criminals from the UK. If a foreign citizen commits a crime here, we should kick them out – it is as simple as that. And where another country won’t take back their own citizens – including criminals – then the govt must stop issuing new visas to people from those countries.”
However, a UK govt spokesperson described the amendments as “unworkable and unrealistic” and signalled it would not support them.
The govt spokesperson said: “To ensure people can be sent back to their home country we need steadfast, long-term agreements and close collaboration with key international partners. We are introducing tougher restrictions, including the use of electronic tags and curfews, on those whose removal we are pursuing but we are presently unable to deport.”