Johnson government unveils tough immigration plans, measures to boost employment
about 4 years in The Irish Times
Boris Johnson’s government has unveiled a new legislative programme that includes measures to boost employment and adult education and a tough immigration Bill that could deny people granted asylum the right to settle in Britain.
Other Bills announced in the queen’s speech on Tuesday include measures to curb judicial review of government decisions and to require voters to show personal identification.
A new subsidy control Bill will loosen rules on state aid to business following Britain’s exit from the European Union, and another will introduce higher animal welfare standards than those demanded by the EU.
The new immigration legislation would block asylum applications from anyone who passed through a country where they could have claimed asylum, such as France or Belgium. It would create a new “one-stop” process that would require applicants to make any claim of asylum or of other protection at the start of the process.
A “freedom of speech” Bill would place a legal obligation on student unions to “secure lawful freedom of speech for their members and others, including visiting speakers”. This follows the withdrawal of invitations to some controversial speakers about issues such as race and gender after protests from students.
Another Bill would stop publicly funded bodies from advocating boycotts that are not backed by the government, such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
“This will be in the form of preventing public institutions carrying out independent boycotts, divestments and sanctions against: foreign countries, or those linked to them; the sale of goods and services from foreign countries; UK firms which trade with such countries, where such an approach is not in line with UK government sanctions. The measures will cover purchasing, procurement and investment decisions which undermine cohesion and integration,” the government said in a briefing note.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act, introduced by David Cameron’s government in 2011, will be repealed, enabling Mr Johnson to call an election earlier than 2024 if he chooses.