Hostile environment on steroids: Understanding the new right to work and rent changes
We all deserve to live with respect, security and dignity in the place we call home, no matter where we are from, the colour of our skin, or our immigration status.
However, this government’s immigration policies are designed to shock and degrade rather than deal with the real problems our society faces.
The latest update to immigration enforcement guidance is an example of this obsession, ramping up the hostile environment, embedding immigration control in every aspect of migrants’ lives.
Landlords and employers are facing much tougher fines if they do not follow the Home Office guidance to check people’s right to work and rent. Fines for employers have more than doubled, to £45,000. For landlords, they have gone up to £5,000 and £10,000 for the first mistakes in renting out rooms and homes, respectively. These big fines can end up punishing employees and renters for simple mistakes or confusion over complicated immigration rules.
The cost of “compliance”
For EU citizens, this puts at risk people who may have been wrongly refused in their applications to the EU Settlement Scheme, who were resident in the UK before Brexit and were promised by politicians their rights would not be affected, but who for one reason or another have not yet secured status.
Delays in processing applications and glitches in the digital system can lead to people not being able to pay their bills, put food on the table or have a roof over their heads.
Children in care born in the UK to EU parents and young people leaving care are also at risk. After Brexit, they have all been required to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to keep their rights in the UK. But the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) found that local councils are not doing enough to help these children apply, leaving them in danger of only discovering they are undocumented when they enter adulthood and try to get a job or go to university.
This government’s disregard of people in difficult and complex situations can unfairly throw people’s lives into chaos.
A call for compassion and support
It does not have to be this way. Today, we can demand more clear information, compassion, and comprehensive support for those affected.
It is crucial to recognise the hurdles people face with the immigration system and to put in place protections against unfair penalties. Access to good quality immigration advice can make the difference between facing exploitation and having a decent life in the UK.
In the long term, we need to come together across our differences and organise for a fair and compassionate immigration system. Join our community lawyering programme today to fight for access to justice for everyone.
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(This article is part of our Know Your Rights series for our community lawyering programme.)
