• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Joint Public Issues Team

Churches working for peace and justice

  • Home Page
  • Who We Are
    • Six hopes for society
  • Issues
    • Economy
      • Tax Justice
      • Reset The Debt
      • Living Wage
    • Environment
      • Net Zero in My Neighbourhood
    • Poverty and Inequality
      • The Cost of Living Crisis
      • Universal Credit
      • Truth and Lies
      • Enough
      • Rethink Sanctions
      • Faith in Foodbanks
      • Housing and Homelessness
    • Asylum and Migration
      • Refugees
      • End Hostility
      • The Asylum System
    • Peacemaking
      • The Arms Trade
      • Nuclear Weapons
      • Drones
      • Peacemaking resources
    • Politics and Elections
      • Elections
      • Meet Your MP
      • Art of the Possible
      • Brexit
    • Other Issues
      • International Development
      • Modern Slavery and Exploitation
        • Forced labour in fashion
  • Get Involved
    • JPIT Conference 2022
    • Newsletter
    • Events
    • Walking with Micah
  • Resources
    • Advent
    • 10 Minutes on… podcast
    • Politics in the Pulpit?
    • Stay and Pray
    • Season of Creation
    • Prayers
    • Public Issues Calendar
    • Poetry
    • Small Group Resources
  • Blog

Nationality and Borders Bill – Write to your MP ahead of the Report stage

Asylum and Migration, Meet Your MP · 3 December, 2021

On 7th and 8th December, the Nationality and Borders Bill will be the focus of debate in the House of Commons. At this stage in the process (the Report stage), MPs can submit amendments, speak to those amendments selected for debate and vote on the bill.

This is a key opportunity for concerns around the bill to be raised, and attempts to change the legislation made. There have been a great number of amendments tabled by MPs, however it’s unclear until closer to the time which will be selected for debate.

At this stage, every MP has the chance to speak to and support changes for the bill. It’s really important for MPs to hear from their constituents about key aspects of the bill, and where their constituents would like them to speak for change.

Why not send your MP an email before the debate asking them to support changes to the bill?

In order to address urgent concerns around the bill, you could ask your MP to support amendments which seek to:

  • End the two-tier system – the bill proposes a differentiated approach towards refugees and asylum seekers, based on how they reached the UK. Under this new legislation, asylum seekers who reached the UK via irregular routes would not have access to the same rights and support as those who come via government schemes.
  • Support the implementation of safe and accessible routes to the UK – the bill heavily relies on asylum seekers coming via government approved routes to claim asylum. However, these are not currently in place and the government have given no indication as to what they will look like. Changes should be made to establish clear targets and deadlines for getting schemes in place which take our fair share of asylum seekers and have broad acceptance criteria in order to be accessible.
  • Support family reunion – since the closure of previous resettlement schemes, the UK has limited routes for family reunion to take place for those seeking asylum. Family reunion is an important way of enabling unaccompanied minors to reach their family, and ensuring that people can be reunited with those they love. Provision should be established in place for generous family reunion opportunities.
  • End offshore detention – the bill seeks to change the rules around where asylum claims can be processed, so that asylum seekers can be held outside of the community and even in other countries. It is important for future flourishing that asylum seekers are embedded in the community from the earliest opportunity and supported in caring and compassionate ways. Changes should be made to the bill to move away from this structure and towards a community based model.
  • End criminalization of asylum seekers who come via irregular routes – the bill seeks to criminalise claiming asylum if you have travelled to the UK via an irregular route. This is a hostile and uncompassionate way of treating people who have often had no other options to seek safety when fleeing persecution. Changes should be made to the bill to alter this harmful approach.

Click here to download a template email based on these key areas

Find your MP’s contact details here.

The Nationality and Borders Bill proposes legislation which will make the UK hostile towards asylum seekers and refugees, whilst failing to address the real challenges and dangers which exist in the current system. We must ensure that every opportunity is taken to make changes to this bill if we are to address the risks many thousands of people are under every day as they journey to seek safety.

Click here to find out more about the Nationality and Borders Bill

Filed Under: Asylum and Migration, Meet Your MP

Hannah Brown

I am the Campaigns and Church Engagement Officer for JPIT. My role involves working with the team to ensure that our campaigns are run effectively, and helping to empower local churches to engage with social justice and effective change-making. I have a background in local church partnership and engagement, and enjoy exploring how we communicate for effective change. I am particularly excited to see how JPIT can empower the church to be a voice of hope and transformation, particularly for those marginalised and disempowered by the systems of society.

Previous Post: « Write to your MP in the wake of deaths crossing the Channel – November 2021
Next Post: The cost of a decent life »

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Posts

  • Local elections: what have they got to do with climate change?
  • Homes for Ukraine – One Year On
  • Response to the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ – March 2023
  • Ukraine Invasion – One Year On
  • JPIT’s Review of 2022
  • What does Government Support for Asylum Seekers really provide?
  • God with Us – the Refugees of Calais and Dunkirk
  • How can we respond to COP27?
  • Statement on the conclusion of the COP27 Climate Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
  • COP27 – what should we be looking for?
  • “He has filled the hungry with good things” – What we need from the Autumn Budget
  • What are the stories we should tell about the humanitarian crisis at Manston Airport Asylum centre?
  • How can we be sure that the products we buy are not the result of modern slavery?
  • Why I hate Warm Banks (and why my church is opening one)
  • How does our theology call us to challenge Poverty?
  • Introducing Alfie
  • Biden says nuclear risk is the highest since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
  • Churches respond to risk to benefit levels
  • Briefing on the ‘Mini Budget’ for the Enough to Live group
  • Introducing Hazel

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter

Footer

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Quick links

Stay and Pray
Politics in the Pulpit
Faith in Politics podcast
Public Issues Calendar
Useful Links

Our work

About Us
Meet the Team
Join the Team 
Internship
Our Newsletter

Contact us

25 Marylebone Road
London NW1 5JR

Tel: 020 7916 8632

enquiries@jpit.uk

Copyright © 2023 · Showcase Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in