Reactions to May’s heavily criticised Immigration Bill

Thursday’s publication of Theresa May’s flagship Immigration Bill, which spells further bad news for migrants, has triggered a wave of negative reaction. Here, we quote some of the responses:

“A bill, most of all, that sends a message that the United Kingdom is a bitter, paranoid, timorous, small-minded kind of country,”

Alex Massie, blogging for the Spectator

“There seems to be nothing in the promised bill to tackle problems at border control, which is getting increasingly shambolic, nor deal with long delays in getting electronic checks in place, or the UKBA bureaucratic failings that have prevented foreign criminals being deported,”

David Hanson, Shadow immigration minister

“Obviously landlords cannot replace the Border Agency and they shouldn't be asked to do their job,”

Richard Lambert, National Landlords Association chief executive

“These new measures will undoubtedly lead to wrongful denial of access to housing and bank accounts for those with a right to live in the UK,”

Maurice Wren, Refugee Council chief executive

“The government have said this bill is about encouraging people who don’t have a legal right be in the UK to ‘go home’. But from our work with young refugees and migrants across the country, we know that for many children, returning home is just not possible. This bill will make it even harder for these children to access vital services including healthcare and housing,”

Peter Grigg, The Children’s Society director of campaigns and policy

“I'm a Tory, but I can see these impractical measures for what they are: a foolhardy attempt to curry favour with a certain brand of swing voter,”

Garvan Walshe, writing for The Guardian

“Charging international students access to the NHS because they apply for their visa, come to the UK to spend on average GBP 36,000 on tuition alone, and are checked when they arrive on campus is introducing another unfair tax,”

Daniel Stevens, National Union of Students international officer

“I’m not quite sure how - if you can't get a bank account and you can't get somewhere to stay - whether that is actually going to result in people leaving the country,”

Michael Forsyth, former Secretary of State for Scotland

“… the Society has real concerns about the government’s suggested reform of the appeals system for deportation and limitations on established rights under Article 8 of the European Convention,”

Mark Stobbs, Law Society director of legal policy

“Forcing doctors and landlords with the threat of punishments to carry out the work of the border control agency is utterly wrong,”

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party

“[The charge for students is] an indiscriminate levy and should also be scrapped – as they pay extremely high fees to study already,”

Habib Rahman, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants chief executive