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UNITED KINGDOM
1. INVOLUNTARY RETURN
1.1 POLICY
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UNITED KINGDOM
Public debate on immigration and asylum in the United Kingdom has intensified in recent years
in response to the marked increase in asylum seekers and illegally resident non-nationals. Policy
responses have largely focused on how to better manage migration flows by promoting channels
for legal migration, and controlling irregular migration, while ensuring that asylum seekers
receive adequate protection under the Geneva Conventions.
Between 2000 and 2002, the UK received over 300,000 asylum applications, making it, in absolute
terms, the highest receiver of asylum applicants in the industrialized world for successive
years. In 2002, asylum applications in the UK accounted for 19 per cent (110,700) of all asylum
claims lodged, representing the highest number of applications ever received in the UK.
There has been growing public concern about the rising numbers of unsuccessful asylum applicants
or other irregular migrants who continue to reside in the UK, fuelling racial tensions in
parts of the UK and forcing the government to reassess its immigration policy.
A number of measures have been implemented to this end since the Labour government came
into power in 1997. A government White Paper in 1998, “Fairer, Faster, and Firmer – A Modern
Approach to Immigration and Asylum”, summarized the policy approach of the new government
and argued for a modern immigration system, which would streamline the asylum process
by delivering faster asylum decisions, simplifying the appeals process, and making removal
arrangements more efficient.
The aim of this new policy approach was to protect the need of genuine refugees, remove the
attraction of the UK for economic migrants and encourage migrants, such as visitors, students
and businessmen, whose entry benefited the UK.
Several significant overhauls of immigration and asylum legislation followed to rectify the
apparent inadequacy of previous strategies to deal with present immigration concerns, beginning
with the adoption of the Immigration and Asylum Act in 1999 and, more recently, the
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act in November 2002.
Included in the 2002 Act were radical new measures to accelerate the removal of violators of
immigration laws, streamline channels of appeal and tackle illegal work and organized crime,
such as human trafficking and smuggling.