“A Bill will be brought forward to strengthen border controls, by bringing together customs and immigration powers. The Bill would also ensure that newcomers to the United Kingdom earn the right to stay.”
The purpose of the Bill is to:
Strengthen the border by:
· giving the UK Border Agency the powers it needs at the frontier, bringing together customs and immigration functions to enable a fully integrated approach to border control; increasing operational effectiveness and border security;
· ensuring that newcomers to the United Kingdom earn the right to stay here;
· changing nationality law to implement the new path to citizenship within a firm but fair immigration system; and,
· introduce a duty on UKBA to safeguard the welfare of children in its work.
The main benefits of the Bill would be:
Strengthen the borders by bringing revenue and customs functions into the UK Border Agency, which will enable its officers to use them alongside immigration powers. This fully integrated approach to border control functions will increase operational effectiveness and border security.
Ensure migrants earn the right to stay by implementing the new path to citizenship, with progress slowed down if migrants don’t make an effort to integrate, or commit even minor crimes. There will be a number of changes to Nationality law, allowing us to shorten or lengthen the qualifying period for naturalisation according to behaviour.
Implement a firm but fair system – with measures including a new duty for the UKBA to safeguard the welfare of children; and to ensure fairness in nationality cases by removing the historical cut-off point for enabling children of British mothers born before 1961 to become British themselves. It also enables those serving overseas in the armed forces to register their children as British.
Related documents:
· Security in a global hub: establishing the UK’s new border arrangements (Nov 2007): (PDF, Cabinet Office website, opens in new browser window)
· The path to citizenship: next steps in reforming the immigration system (Feb 2008):( PDF, Border and Immigration Agency, Opens, opens new browser window)
· The path to citizenship: next steps in reforming the immigration system – analysis of consultation responses (July 2008): (PDF, Border and Immigration Agency, Opens, opens new browser window)
· Draft (partial) Immigration and Citizenship Bill (July 2008): (
· Making change stick: an introduction to the Immigration and Citizenship Bill (July 2008):(PDF, Border and Immigration, opens new browser window)
· Border and Immigration Agency Code of Practice for Children (Jan 2008): (Border and Immigrations Agency website, opens new browser window)
Devolution:
· The Bill deals with reserved matters and generally applies to the United Kingdom as a whole. There are a couple of issues which may be addressed in the Bill which would require a Legislative Consent Motion but which have not yet been finalised.¼/p>
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