UK Government Implements Stricter Regulations for Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants

February 12, 2025 TruthUSA

The British Home Office has issued new guidance stating that individuals who enter the country unlawfully should ‘normally be refused citizenship.’

The British government has updated the guidance on granting UK citizenship to those who arrive in the country illegally.

The Home Office’s good character guidance for caseworkers on granting citizenship was revised on Monday to indicate that individuals who entered the UK illegally would mostly be refused citizenship, regardless of the time that has passed since the illegal entry occurred.

The guidance previously mentioned that the application would “normally be refused” if the illegal entry happened within the past 10 years of the application date.

It also specifically mentions small boat migrants, stating that individuals who arrived via a dangerous route would also “normally be refused citizenship,” with an explanation that “a dangerous route includes, but is not limited to, traveling by small boat or being concealed in a vehicle or other conveyance.”

Small boat crossings from France have been a significant symbol of what many in the UK view as unmanageable illegal immigration, and consecutive governments have struggled to halt the flow.

Last year, over 36,000 individuals arrived in the UK through these crossings, with over 70 would-be illegal immigrants losing their lives in the process.

Although the guidance update was released under a Labour government, it has faced criticism from some of the party’s own MPs.

Labour MP Stella Creasy criticized the change, stating that it goes against the message of being proud of the country and its role in supporting those escaping persecution during an interview on BBC Radio 4.

She further expressed that the change would be so severe as to deny citizenship to Paddington Bear.

“It would deny, frankly, Paddington. Paddington did the same thing; he came by an irregular route and we couldn’t give him a passport,” Creasy remarked.

Paddington, a fictional anthropomorphized bear created by author Michael Bond in the late 1950s and portrayed in a successful film series by actor Ben Wishaw, arrived as a stowaway in Britain from Peru with a label saying, “Please look after this bear.”

He was named “Paddington” after being found by the Brown family at the London train station of the same name.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council charity, also opposed the changes, stating that they “defy reason.”

“The British public wants refugees who have found safety in our country to integrate and contribute to their new communities, so it doesn’t make sense for the Government to create more obstacles,” Solomon mentioned.

“Many refugees over the years have become proud and hard-working British citizens, including doctors, entrepreneurs, and other professionals. Attaining British citizenship has allowed them to give back to their communities, and this should be encouraged, not hindered. We urge ministers to reconsider urgently.”

Citizenship applications are assessed on an individual basis, and policies are regularly reviewed.

A Home Office spokesperson stated: “There are existing rules that can prevent those arriving illegally from obtaining citizenship.

“This guidance strengthens measures to make it clear that individuals who enter the UK illegally, including small boat arrivals, may have their British citizenship application rejected.”

Labour’s new Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, which eliminates the Conservatives’ Rwanda plan, passed a crucial vote in the House of Commons on Monday.

The bill includes “counterterror-style powers” such as the authority to seize suspected smugglers’ phones prior to their arrest.

MPs voted 333–109 to approve the bill at the second reading, after rejecting a Conservative amendment aimed at blocking the legislation.

PA Media contributed to this report.

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