1/13 So, a quick(ish) thread on what Labour have announced on asylum and immigration. Short version: there’s some really good and important stuff in the manifesto. But a bit woolly on detail and some unfortunate omissions.
2/13 Labour will scrap the 2014 Act - that’s the one bringing in the worst parts of the Hostile Environment, including checks by landlords or banks. This is course good and important. They make sure to remind us that the LibDems were responsible for it as well as the Tories
3/13 There’s talk abt strengthening borders & criticisms of Tory staffing cuts - will be controversial to many - but IMHO it’s vital to realise how far the Hostile Environment was a way of outsourcing immigration control, to substitute for a properly resourced system
3(a)/13 By which I mean if you’re going to have an immigration system at all, you can’t operate it on a shoestring - delay & incompetence cause huge stress, anxiety & inconvenience to people, & improvement comes from better policies, not the same awful policies but underfunded
4/13 Labour will compensate Windrush victims - hopefully this means restoration of their rights as well as financial compensation, important though that will be for many people.
5/13 They will end indefinite detention, which is great though they don’t mention judicial oversight or a maximum period of detention, unlike the LDs. Could do a lot better, therefore.
6/13 Labour aim to provide a fund to support survivors of trafficking and domestic violence, which is good, obviously, though they don’t say anything about those people’s legal rights or how they are treated in practice by the Home Office
7/13 They will end “deportation of family members of people entitled to be here” - if this means literally not deporting parents/partners of legal residents, even if they’ve committed offences, that’s big & excellent & will go a long way to ending the scandal of double punishment
7(a)/13 would like to be sure that’s what it does mean though, and yes I know this is cheating
8/13 They will end minimum income requirements which keep families apart, which is very very good news for many people
9/13 There’s a rather vague section on refugees, committing to uphold rights (no small thing - those rights are def at risk from Tories) & intention to resume rescues in the Med, end camps in France & create safe routes for asylum seekers. Fine but a bit short on practical steps.
10/13 On free movement, they would “seek to protect those rights” in any negotiations over Brexit, which is perhaps as far as they can go - of course any close ties to the EU are likely to require that anyway.
11/13 In the Justice section, they will “restore all early legal aid advice” for immigration cases. This is quite vague - any improvement in legal aid is going to be significant of course, but come on, doesn’t hurt to say in simple terms exactly what you mean, does it?
12/13 Frankly? Don’t disagree w most of it but so much needs doing. We all have pet ideas but FWIW I put in 14 ideas (none v mad) to the manifesto consultation, of which 4 correspond clearly to points here & 3 may do so, depending what they mean - draw what you will from that!
13/13 Not to say they won’t do more in govt than is announced here & the tone is generally better - seethe when you recall New Labour’s 13-year war on asylum-seekers, or more recently, cringe at immigration control mugs - but tbqh I was hoping for more. Let’s be critical allies.
