Immigration reforms could criminalise refugees, charities warn July 5, 2021, 10:33 pm
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover onboard a lifeboat (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Thousands of refugees could be turned away under reforms to immigration laws, campaigners have claimed ahead of proposals being introduced to Parliament.
The Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill intends to make it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK without permission, with the maximum sentence for those entering the country unlawfully rising from six months’ imprisonment to four years.
The proposed laws also plan to increase the tariff for people smugglers, with those found guilty facing life behind bars – up from the current maximum of 14 years.
Thousands of refugees could be turned away if arriving in UK without permission is made criminal
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UK to block visas from countries refusing to take back undocumented migrants
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