Briefing Note – The Illegal Migration Bill, Impacts on the land border (updated version)
Published:
May 4, 2023
Policy Area(s):Immigration
Keywords:Citizenship, Racism and Migrant Rights
CAJ has updated our previous briefing note on the Illegal Migration Bill, which has now progressed to the House of Lords. Our briefing note focuses on the impact of this legislation on the island of Ireland and the land border.
This bill has the potential to cause severe impacts and potential breaches of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the Windsor Framework. It is not clear if the UK government considered these unique impacts before pressing ahead with the legislation. The Common Travel Area (CTA) and the land border are not mentioned in the bill, nor the explanatory memorandum.
The application of this legislation on the land border is deeply concerning, with some elements requiring urgent clarification.
You can download the brief here.