The Nationality and Borders Act (NABA), which includes a number of measures, is now in effect and has given the government unprecedented authority to combat crime, secure our borders, and discourage people from undertaking these risky voyages.
In order to better support people who really require asylum through safe and legal channels and disrupt trafficking networks’ economic model, the Nationality and Borders Act, which got Royal Assent in April, will fundamentally change our flawed system.
Several policies will go into effect as of right now, including:
Those who operate a small boat or smuggle immigrants into the UK using other risky or illegal methods will face harsher sanctions, with a life term as the maximum penalty.
Increasing from six months to four years in prison the maximum punishment for entering the UK unlawfully or overstaying a visa.
Introduction of a new differentiated approach, under which individuals who did not enter the UK legally, who did not immediately notify authorities of their illegal presence, or who did not demonstrate good cause might be granted different rights from those who did, including a shorter period of stay authorization (a minimum of 30 months instead of 5 years)
Immigration officers now have the authority to search luggage removed from the ship or aircraft that brought them in for unlawful immigrants.
By establishing stricter requirements for those with a criminal history and seeking asylum, offenders can now be removed up to 12 months before the conclusion of the custodial portion of their sentence.
This will help remove foreign national offenders currently being held in our jails sooner.
Possession of the power to apply visa penalties, which entails slowing or ceasing our services in countries that represent a threat to international stability and security and in those that refuse to extradite their own individuals who are unlawfully present in the UK.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, said:
In order to fulfill our promise to the British public to regain control of our borders, this is one of the most significant turning points.
Despite the fact that there is no one answer to the world migrant crisis, these measures that take effect today are crucial in modernizing the ailing asylum system as we implement our New Plan for Immigration.
We will keep working tirelessly to make sure that we provide protection and refuge to those who are truly in need, but these new measures will allow us to crack down on system abuse and the evil people-smugglers, who will now face a maximum sentence of life in prison as a result of this law going into effect.
The Nationality and Borders Act will also correct irregularities in UK nationality regulations that have prevented some offspring of citizens of British Overseas Territories from obtaining British citizenship.
For instance, until January 1, 1983, mothers having citizenship in a British Overseas Territory were unable to confer British nationality upon their offspring who were born outside of the UK and its territories.
Similarly, before 1 July 2006, children born to fathers who were citizens of British Overseas Territories were not eligible to inherit their father’s nationality.
For all those who have been denied citizenship due to these irregularities, the Home Office is currently creating citizenship routes.
With the passage of the Nationality and Borders Act, antiquated regulations that required children of British Overseas Territory citizens born outside of an Overseas Territory to be registered within a year of their birth will be repealed.
Other provisions of the April-passed law will be put into effect throughout the next months and into the following year.