On September 23, the Secretary for States of Social Security, Peter Lilley, told Parliament of new regulations which allow asylum seekers who have been granted refugee status to make claims for income support, housing and tax benefits for the period they may have been denied benefits as asylum seekers. The regulations were announced during proceedings on the Asylum and Immigration Act of 1996, which went into effect July 24, 1996.
In September, 1996, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) received permission to bring a full High Court case against the decision of the Lilley to use emergency legislation to deny welfare benefits to all asylum seekers who applied for asylum inside the UK in 1996.
The Asylum and Immigration Act, which bars welfare payments to foreigners who do not apply for asylum in the UK upon arrival, went into effect in July 1996. However, Lilley decided to deny welfare benefits to asylum seekers who fail to apply immediately upon their arrival in the UK in February before the act took effect.
Of the 17,375 asylum applications from January through July, 1996, 11,025 were made after the foreigner entered the UK, so that he/she was not eligible for welfare payments.
On June 21, 1996, the JCWI won a Court of Appeal victory, when the court declared unlawful several voluntary organizations who offered shelter and food to asylum seekers denied welfare payments.
After seven Iraqis hijacked a Sudan Airways plane and requested asylum in the UK, and an Iranian hung onto a hovercraft from France to apply for asylum in the UK, some newspapers complained that the UK was the European country in which it was easiest to get asylum. The Iranian was reportedly involved in selling illegal pornographic videos in Tehran, and paid smugglers $3,000 to be taken to Europe.
There are 100,000 self-employed Asians in the UK, many working long hours for low net wages, and some commentators credit them with helping re-invigorate the UK economy. At the same time, a study of what Asian immigrant parents want for their children shows that most want their children to be professionals rather than self-employed.
Some campaign groups are claiming that Britain has become a "slave haven" for employers who abuse migrant domestic workers. Many cannot leave their jobs due to government rules which state that migrant workers who enter Britain as domestic workers are allowed to stay only if they remain with their original employer. The Liberal Democrats and Labour parties plan to discuss the issue when they meet in early October.
The Home Office says it has considered changing the law but believes that would make it more difficult to control the 12,000 domestic workers who enter Britain each year.
Stowaways on board ship cost the shipping industry at North American posts about $45,000 per migrant, including fines, guards, hotel or detention center costs and subsistence expenses. If asylum is claimed and refused, repatriation costs are paid by the shipping company. The International Maritime Bureau estimates that there were 6,500 reported stowaways worldwide between 1991 and 1993. Some shipping companies hire firms to repatriate the stowaways.
"Peter Lilley Announces New Rule Bringing in Backdated Payments for Refugees," Universal News Service, September 24, 1996. Arthur Leathley, "Party to debate claims that Britain is a 'slave haven,'" The Times, September 23, 1996. "Immigrant smugglers smashed," Daily Mail, September 20, 1996. Nick Savvides, "Turning Back the Human Tide," Lloyds List, September 18, 1996. "Britain's Asians," Financial Times, September 10, 1996. Alan Travis, "Lilley faces fresh fight over curb on asylum seekers," The Guardian, September 6, 1996. Nick Buckley, "The man who hung on to a hovercraft to sneak into Britain; this is the easiest place to get asylum says Iranian in death-defying Channel trip," Mail, September 1, 1996.
