On Wednesday, the British government announced stricter immigration rules, making it nearly impossible for undocumented migrants arriving by small boats to later obtain citizenship.
Under the new guidelines, migrants arriving by sea or hidden in vehicles will typically be denied citizenship.
“This guidance further strengthens measures, making it clear that anyone entering the UK illegally, including those arriving by small boats, risks having their British citizenship application rejected,” a Home Office spokesperson stated.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government faces mounting pressure to reduce migration, following the success of Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party, which garnered around four million votes in the last general election — a significant achievement for a far-right party.
However, the policy change has drawn criticism from some Labour MPs. Lawmaker Stella Creasy expressed concerns on X, stating, “If we give someone refugee status, it’s wrong to deny them the chance to become a British citizen,” arguing the policy would leave refugees “forever second class.”
Free Movement, an immigration law blog, warned that the changes could “block a large number of refugees from naturalizing as British citizens, effective immediately,” calling the guidance “incredibly spiteful and damaging to integration.”
This announcement follows recent debates over the government’s new Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, which grants law enforcement “counter-terror style powers” to dismantle gangs involved in smuggling irregular migrants across the Channel.
Immigration — both legal and undocumented, which are at historically high levels — was a key issue in the July 2024 election that brought Starmer to power.
Upon taking office, Starmer abandoned his Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak’s plan to deter undocumented migration by deporting new arrivals to Rwanda, instead vowing to “smash the gangs” to reduce numbers.
In 2024, approximately 36,816 people were detected crossing the Channel from France to England, a 25% increase from 2023’s 29,437, according to provisional figures from the interior ministry.
AFP
