Immigration Bill becomes law and new Act makes fundamental changes to the functioning of the immigration system
The Immigration Bill has received Royal Assent and become law, the Home Office announced yesterday.
According to the Home Office, the Immigration Act 2014 contains 77 clauses and makes fundamental changes to the functioning of the immigration system.
The Home Office lists the following highlights of the new Act:
• Cutting the number of immigration decisions that can be appealed from 17 to 4, while allowing the Government to return certain harmful individuals before their appeals are heard if there is no risk of serious irreversible harm
• Ensuring that the courts have regard to Parliament's view of what the public interest requires when considering European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) Article 8 claims in immigration cases – making clear the right to a family life is not to be regarded as absolute and unqualified
• Clamping down on people who try to gain an immigration advantage by entering into a sham marriage or civil partnership
• Requiring private landlords to check the immigration status of tenants, preventing those with no right to live in the UK from accessing private rented housing
• Requiring temporary migrants with time-limited immigration status by requiring them to make a financial contribution to the National Health Service
Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire was quoted as saying: "The Immigration Act is a landmark piece of legislation which will build on our existing reforms to ensure that our immigration system works in the national interest."
You can read the full Home Office press release here.
The Immigration Bill received strong criticism from some groups, with the Movement Against Xenophobia campaign group calling it "the most racist and discriminatory piece of legislation we have seen for many years".