Ebook: Tomorrow Is Another Country: What Is Wrong With the Uk's Asylum Policy

The UK is experiencing mass immigration on a scale never seen before. It is estimated that Britain can expect a net inflow of two million people from outside the EU over the next ten years. Is Britain, a past colonial power, now being colonised itself? The key to the failure of our immigration policy is Britain's adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights. Created in the 1950s to offer refuge to the victims of Soviet persecution, it has been developed to offer asylum to anybody in the world. In October 2000 the Labour government passed the Human Rights Act, which incorporates the provisions of the Convention into British law. As a result, any refugees who set foot in Britain must be admitted to have their claims heard. Most manage to stay even if their claims are refused. If people cannot enjoy human rights in their own countries, they are entitled to enjoy them here. Employing fraud or deception to enter Britain does not invalidate a claim. Under the Act, illegal immigrants can declare, years later, that they are asylum seekers even if they made no such claim on arrival. Once settled, they can then further resist removal under the Act by claiming a violation of their right to family life. Myles Harris argues that, in order to regain control over our own borders, the UK must repeal the Human Rights Act and devise an immigration policy which is rigorous, fair and capable of commanding widespread support.