New Laws to Crack Down on People Trafficking and Asylum Abuse

New Laws to Crack Down on People Trafficking and Asylum Abuse Scotsman.com People traffickers exploiting the most vulnerable will be targeted by tough new legislation coming into force today. http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3828446

People traffickers exploiting the most vulnerable will be targeted by tough new legislation coming into force today. The Home Office has announced criminals involved in trafficking people for forced labour or organ removal will now face up to fourteen years in jail, under measures in the Asylum and Immigration Act (treatment of claimants etc) 2004.

Other measures in the Act also coming into force today include:

* withdrawing support from families who have failed in their asylum applications and refuse to return to their home countries voluntarily;

* increasing immigration officers power of entry, search and seizure within a suspected offenders premises;

* the power for the Director of Public Prosecutions to advise immigration officers directly on immigration crime, reducing the administrative burden on the police and Crown Prosecution Service;

* increased powers for immigration officers to retain documents such as passports to facilitate the return of people who have no right to remain in the UK.

Immigration Minister, Des Browne said:

“Our reforms of the asylum system are paying dividends with the number of asylum applications falling year on year – 67 per cent lower than October 2002 – and the removal of both asylum and immigration offenders almost doubling. But we are not complacent and new measures coming into force today are part of our ongoing drive to crack down on people intent on abusing the system.

“We are sending a clear message to the criminal gangs involved in the inhumane trafficking of vulnerable people for the purposes of forced labour or organ removal that they now face up to 14 years in jail.

“Increased powers for immigration officers to retain documents such as passports will help us to remove more people who have no right to remain in the UK, and greater powers of arrest will increase the effectiveness of specialist Immigration Service units tackling immigration crime.

“The new measures will also encourage those asylum seeking families who are at the end of the process and who have been refused permission to remain in the UK to take up the dignified option of a paid voluntary flight home, with re-integration assistance. If they are not in need of protection and are able to return home it is simply not acceptable for them to expect to remain in the UK indefinitely at the taxpayers expense.”

The Home Office also announced today that, as the year-on-year fall in asylum applications continues, it is to close the asylum screening unit in Solihull. This will enable the Home Office to focus investment on improving the service at other screening units in Croydon and Liverpool.

Asylum seekers will continue to be encouraged to claim asylum at their port of arrival in the UK and there will be safe guards in place for vulnerable applicants who do not apply when they first arrive. Those vulnerable applicants who cannot travel to a screening unit will be able to make their application at one of many local Immigration Service offices across the UK.

Notes to Editors

1. The new measures in the Asylum and Immigration Act (treatment of claimants etc) 2004 act which come into force from today are:

* Section 4&5 – the offence of trafficking people for exploitation

* Section 7 – Placing a duty on the Director of Public Prosecutions to provide advice on Immigration related crime matters

* Section 9 – Withdrawal of support from failed asylum seeking families

* Section 14 – Increased powers for Immigration Officers

* Section 17 – Retention of documents by Immigration Officers

2. The Asylum and Immigration (treatment of claimants etc) received royal assent on 22 July (Home Office Press Notice 253/2004).

3. The Asylum Screening Unit in Solihull registers new claims (around 5 per cent of all claims) from asylum applicants and will cease operating on 3 December 2004. Croydon and Liverpool offices will continue to process applications from people who do not claim asylum on arrival at a UK port.

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