Diane Abbott accuses Government of ‘more cruelty’ as skilled migrants face deportation risk

Diane Abbott has accused ministers of a “random” approach to migration rules amid claims more than 1,000 skilled migrants could wrongly face deportation.



The Shadow Home Secretary hit out as immigration experts warned that legislation designed to tackle terror threats could see foreign professionals forced to leave.

They claim a section of the Immigration Act is being “abused” by the Home Office against teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and IT professionals seeking indefinite leave to remain.

Immigration experts told the Guardian that many are having their applications refused over alleged amendments to their tax records, or having inconsistencies in their declared income.

The claims come weeks after the Windrush scandal revealed UK citizens who arrived from the Caribbean decades ago were facing threats of deportation or losing access to public services.

Ms Abbott said the claims were further evidence of the “damaging and irrational” nature of the so-called 'hostile environment' approach to illegal immigration.

"The random manner, in which these rules are being applied, goes hand in hand with the Home Office's arbitrary migration targets,” she said.

"Just like the Windrush generation, people who have given so much to Britain are being subjected to more of this Government's cruelty. The hostile environment must end.”

The controversial clause in the legislation means migrants in breach immediately become ineligible for any other UK visa and can be forced to leave within 14 days.

In one case, an applicant whose tax was scrutinised by three different appeal courts, each of whom had found no irregularities, was refused on the basis of tax errors he argues were made by the Home Office itself.

Other examples cited by the paper include a Ministry of Defence mechanical engineer who is now destitute and an NHS manager who has been forced into £30,000 of debt through legal fees.

Highly Skilled Migrants, a support group that works with over 1,000 workers, many of whom could face deportation, say that of the ten members who took the Home Office to court, nine have won their cases.

Organiser Aditi Bhardwaj said that "at worst" it raises the question of whether there is a "blanket policy which the Home Office is using internally, which no one is aware about".

The claims pile further pressure on the Government after Sajid Javid, who replaced Amber Rudd as Home Secretary following her resignation, said ministers would abandon the 'hostile environment' policy.

'WICKED'

SNP MP Alison Thewliss, who is helping constituents affected by the issue, said the approach was "wicked" and "similarly malevolent" to that of the Windrush cases.

Paul Garlick, a former Queen’s Counsel who specialises in extradition and human rights law, said the decisions were “beyond belief and deplorable”.

A Home Office spokesperson told the Guardian it refuses applications “in these circumstances only where the evidence shows applicants have deliberately provided false information to the Government”.