Nationality and Borders Bill
On 8th December 2021, the Nationality and Borders Bill returned to the House of Commons for Third Reading (the final legislative stage in the Commons before a Bill is sent to the House of Lords). Darren co-signed an amendment to try and ensure that the UK remains fully committed to its international obligations, and took steps to address the issue of people trafficking, but regrettably, it was not accepted by the Government.
Darren, and Opposition colleagues, voted against the Bill due to its overarching failure to address the problems with the country’s asylum and immigration systems but it was passed by Government MPs.
You can read Darren’s full response that was circulated to his constituents as follows:
Dear Consituent,
Thank you for taking the time to write to me and I hope that this email finds you healthy and well.
On December 8th, I voted against the Nationality and Borders Bill at its Third Reading. I would like to thank the many constituents who have contacted with their concerns about this Bill. Bristol is a proud City of Sanctuary, and I cannot support a bill that strips away modern slavery protections, criminalises asylum and fails to solve the genuine problems within our immigration system.
The Government has failed to negotiate return agreements with EU countries, and it has not established any safe and legal asylum routes for refugees seeking entry to the UK. Until then, all this Bill does is make it harder to process people seeking asylum, cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and cause more misery and anxiety for some of the world’s most vulnerable
I serve as Vice-Chair of the Modern Slavery APPG and have spoken repeatedly about the widespread spectre of modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour in the UK. Part Four of the Bill strips away parts of the 2015 Modern Slavery Act and weakens the protection we can offer victims of slavery and trafficking. It makes it harder to come forward if you are a victim of slavery or trafficking and lets traffickers themselves off the hook. This is chaotic policymaking that misunderstands the problems at the root of our asylum system and tears up the progress we have made fighting modern slavery.
I, alongside other members of the Modern Slavery APPG, tabled an amendment to the Bill designed to protect both the victims, and children of victims, of modern slavery and ensured that the UK Government undertook its legal obligations to victims under the Refugee and Trafficking Conventions. Unfortunately, the Government chose not to adopt the amendment and voted against it, alongside other cross-party amendments.
Labour amendments to this Bill, which were defeated by the Government, included ensuring that people who are granted settled status through the EU settlement scheme are given physical certificates of proof. This would prevent the horrific events of the Windrush scandal being repeated. Further amendments would have banned offshore processing, created a special offense for sexual exploitation motivated human trafficking, stopped the Government from stripping people of British citizenship and made it more affordable for Ghurkha, Commonwealth and Hong Kong veterans to apply for citizenship.
The Bill promises to stop the arrival of small boats from across the English Channel and to go after criminal human-trafficking operations, it does neither. This Bill is not fit for purpose, and that is why I joined Opposition colleagues across the House in voting against it.
Please do let me know whether you require any further support at this time.
Yours sincerely,
Darren
Darren Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Bristol North West