Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

Written Evidence Submitted by HIAS + JCORE (BSAIB23)

Public Committee for the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill Call for Evidence   

Executive Summary

· HIAS + JCORE is the UK’s leading Jewish voice on asylum and refuge .

· As a Jewish organisation, we are guided by our responsibility to help the vulnerable, not to turn them away or to criminalise their search for safety.  

· We are greatly concerned that this Bill is centered on counter-terrorism style measures and introduces powers which could criminalise refugees seeking sanctuary, while excluding safe routes.

· The Ukraine specific schemes should act as a model, demonstrating that safe routes work to deter dangerous channel crossings.

· We recommend trialling a refugee visa, broadening family reunion, and increasing resettlement targets.

About HIAS+JCORE    

1. Launched in 2023, HIAS+JCORE is a UK-based partnership between HIAS, an international refugee protection agency founded in the late 19th century and headquartered in the United States, and JCORE, the Jewish Council for Racial Equality, established in 1976 to combat systemic racism in the UK.     

2. HIAS+JCORE remains an independent, UK registered charity, but one aligned with and benefiting from HIAS’ vast expertise and support. Working together in the UK, we provide the leading UK Jewish voice on refuge and asylum. Our mission is to enable refugees and asylum seekers to flourish as a part of a society free from xenophobia and racism, and we are led by our Jewish values and history of Compassion (Rachamim), Responsibility (Arvut), Solidarity (Shlemut) and Partnership (Gishur).  

3. HIAS+JCORE works in three key areas: advocating, mobilising, and supporting. Our main practical support project is JUMP (HIAS + JCORE’s Unaccompanied Minors Project), a transformative programme for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees living in London. We campaign for compassionate refugee and asylum policies informed by the lived experiences of the young people we support through JUMP.     

About our submission    

4. We are submitting evidence to the Bill Committee because we are concerned that this Bill focuses excessively on tough enforcement measures and the criminalisation of refugees and asylum seekers, while neglecting the critical need to expand safe routes. These routes are essential for providing refugees with viable and legal pathways to reach the UK. The Bill emphasizes security and deterrence, but overlooks the reality that desperate refugees fleeing conflict and war are not thinking about the new offences in the UK, but rather how to find safety and reunite with family.   

5. Currently, there is no way to apply for asylum without being physically present in the country . Due to the limited and inadequate schemes available, refugees are forced to rely on people smugglers to arrive. R estrictive policies and lack of safe routes are effectively driving people into the hands of smugglers.    

6. The Ukraine specific schemes, Homes for Ukraine and the Ukraine Family Scheme, demonstrate that safe routes not only work, but also serve as an effective deterrent to irregular migration. Since their introduction in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion, only two Ukrainians have attempted to gain entry through small boat crossings. Meanwhile, over 200,000 have arrived on visas. [1]    

7. We understand and support the Government’s goal of dismantling the smuggling gangs and ending dangerous cross -channel journeys. No one wants to see vulnerable people forced into such perilous situations. However, these new measures will not achieve the desired effect. Instead of targeting the smuggling gangs, refugees will be the ones who pay the price. And it is simply not right that refugees should be punished for the lack of safe routes available to this country.

8. While we commend the Government’s repeal of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 and several sections of the Illegal Migration Act 2023, including the refusal to process asylum claims and powers to indefinitely detain children, we are concerned that a number of troubling provisions remain. Notably, the Bill fails to rescind child detention, allows the Home Office – rather than the courts – to decide what is considered reasonable detention, blocks trafficking victims from accessing modern slavery protections, and maintains the inadmissibility of asylum claims from individuals who are nationals of countries deemed "safe". Furthermore, the Bill includes powers to expand this list of "safe" countries, potentially excluding even more refugees from claiming asylum in the UK solely based on their country of origin. This sets a dangerous precedent.   

9. Regarding the new criminal offences, the introduction of the crime of supplying or handling "articles for use in immigration crime", which has small list of excluded items such as food, drink, tents, and other humanitarian supplies, could target both refugees and private individuals who provide them with assistance, such as by providing a mobile phone. This offence is further compounded by two others, one expanding search and seizure provisions, and another that criminali s es endangering another life during an unauthorized sea crossing. Disappointingly, in lieu of policies that could actually save lives, these punitive offences do nothing to prevent deaths at sea or to address the root causes that force refugees to undertake such dangerous journeys in the first place. As an organisation that works with young refugees through JUMP, we are particularly worried that individuals we may support in the future could potentially be criminali s ed under these new offences, adding further stress to their already vulnerable situations.   

10. A s Jews, we are deeply familiar with the realities of persecution and the journey to a new land in search of safety and security. This history compels us to advocate for those who are seeking refuge today. As Leviticus 19:33-34 tells us, " If a stranger comes to live in your country, do not mistreat them... You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself, for you too were strangers in the Land of Egypt ". We are therefore obliged to promote compassionate and welcoming policies for refugees, ensuring they not only arrive safely, but also have the opportunity to integrate meaningfully into society and rebuild their lives with dignity.  

11. With this in mind, HIAS +JCORE has several policy recommendations that we believe should be considered in the development of the new Bill. These include:   

· Trialling a humanitarian or refugee visa that would allow people to travel legally to the UK for the purpose of claiming asylum. It would focus on countries with high channel crossings and asylum grant rates, and it would be aimed at helping vulnerable populations who have fled major crises and persecution.  

· Broadening the definition of family reunion to enable unaccompanied minors to sponsor their siblings and parents. This would be a transformative change for many of the young people we support through JUMP who arrived in this country alone and are separated from their parents and siblings. Expanding family reunion would help bring more families back together again.

· Increasing resettlement targets. The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) set a target of resettling 5,000 refugees in its first year, but has failed to ever meet this goal. In the year ending September 2024, only 435 people were resettled through the UKRS. [2] Increasing resettlement targets will offer an alternative to dangerous irregular channel crossings. The Government should re-commit to an annual resettlement target of at least 5,000 refugees.

12. These policies would provide refugees with safe and legal pathways to enter the UK and would help disrupt the smuggling gangs by removing the need for their services. We urge the Government to consider these recommendations, so that we can work together to create legislation that effectively protects the fundamental right of refugees fleeing conflict and persecution to claim asylum in the UK.   

For more information, please contact:

David Mason, Executive Director: david.mason@hiasjcore.org

March 2025