The Illegal Migration Act - what does it mean for our 'welcome'?
In July 2023, the UK government passed the ‘Illegal Migration Act’, essentially removing the right for people to travel to the UK via ‘irregular routes’ and claim asylum upon arrival in the UK. Thousands of churches across the UK are committed to welcoming people seeking refuge in the UK in lots of ways, including those who have sought asylum here. Many will be questioning what the act means for their activities and for the people they are supporting.
Lots of displaced people are still arriving and living in the UK in our local communities. It is more important than ever before for churches to say WELCOME to these people and to help them to rebuild their lives, after leaving so much behind in their home countries:
People who have already been granted refugee status
Once you have ‘refugee status’ in the UK, you are free to live and work in the same way as any British citizen. Even if someone has had refugee status for a few years, integration can still be a challenge and local friends can make all the difference - helping a person to thrive, rather than just survive. This includes people who have come through a special visa route - such as Ukrainian refugees and some from Afghanistan in recent years.
People who sought asylum in the UK before July 2023.
There are many people who are seeking asylum to whom the new Illegal Migration Act won’t apply to - ie, they arrived in the UK before the Act was passed. These people are often placed by the Home Office within local communities across the UK, either in houses or hotels. The government is responsible for providing their accommodation whilst their asylum claim is being processed. They are free to come and go from their accommodation as they please, although they are not allowed to work in the UK. Life can be very difficult when seeking asylum, as your life becomes very restricted whilst waiting on the Home Office to make a decision on your asylum application - which can take from 6 months up to many, many years of waiting (some people wait over 10 years for a decision to be made on their asylum claim!). Friendship and support from local people and churches can make a huge difference to a person’s wellbeing and mental health whilst they go through the asylum process.
People who sought asylum after July 2023
People are still arriving in the UK seeking asylum, despite the Illegal Migration Act being passed. What is yet to be seen is how these people are going to be treated by the Home Office. The Illegal Migration Act states that these people can now be detained and not allowed to apply for asylum in the UK again in their life. However, we are still waiting to see what the government’s plans are for how (and where) these people will be detained and what plans are made for their removal from the UK. This will be subject to legal challenges (like we have seen with the government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda) and is likely to take a long time to be finalised. In the meantime, churches are still free to welcome and befriend those who have arrived. As and when people are detained, churches should also be prepared to make plans to engage with detention centres and consider visiting those who are detained, just as the Bible instructs us to visit those in prison.
The majority of people who have arrived in the UK seeking refuge have fled horrendous situations and suffering - including war, torture, persecution, domestic abuse, trafficking and modern day slavery to name a few. It is a privilege for our churches to be able to welcome these people into our communities, and for our lives to be enriched by them. Our prayer is that our churches will continue to be places of welcome for everyone who is arriving, no matter what their circumstances and future prospects of living in the UK. Only then can we break down the fear of the unknown and the stranger held by many and learn that we are blessed by knowing people who have been forced to flee their homes and come to the UK.
Welcome Churches is equipping local churches to continue to welcome everyone seeking refuge in our communities which is needed now more than ever. Could you consider giving a regular donation to help us see every refugee welcomed by the local Church? Click here to donate today.