CONTEXT

The Nationality and Borders Bill gives the government a number of inhumane powers, including the ability to criminalise those who rescue refugees, and the ability to strip citizenship with no notice or chance of appeal, even if it leaves a person stateless.

This Bill would give the Home Secretary powers to do so based on loose self-defined terms such as “conducive to public good”.

This Bill not only gives the Home Secretary powers to strip British citizens of their citizenship without notice, but also has punitive and inhumane barriers for those who rightly deserve asylum, leaving them at the mercy of human traffickers, whilst the Home Secretary legislates the freedom to pick on citizens with prejudice.

Stateless people cannot access their human, legal and property rights, because it is the laws of nation states that administrate them: this makes it impossible to travel, own property, go to school, see the doctor, marry, open a bank account or work legally. It impacts not just the individuals, but also their dependents.

To date, existing powers have largely been used when citizens were overseas, effectively locking them out of the country, leaving them stateless and without the opportunity of legal appeal.

The Bill also proposes discriminatory 2-tier treatment of asylum seekers and severely undermines the protection of refugees and their families.

There is no test or clear definition for exercising these powers. The Home Secretary is trying to become judge, jury, and executioner.

This Bill is so fundamentally dangerous that any politician that is quiet on it is complaint to the violation of our human rights, basic state protections and democracy itself.

Lobbying your councillors and MPs, threatening to vote them out if they do not take action, will cause their parties to prioritise this issue in both the Houses of Lords and Commons.

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ACT NOW

Step 1: Use WriteToThem.com tool and put in your postcode to find your councillor and MP.
Step 2: Compose a short email using the key points below
Step 3: Send us a copy of your politician’s reply to info@MPACUK.org

KEY POINTS:

> This bill normalises 2nd-class citizenship and asylum system that fundamentally undermines democracy and is deeply rooted in racism and xenophobia.

> This threatens every single UK citizens’ civil and human rights and has a chilling impact on our democracy. People do not speak truth to power to a government that can take away all their rights away so easily.

>  This government has deported people despite court rulings not to. Effectively, breaking the law. There are no guarantees that this or future government will not abuse this power.

> The government seeks to exercise several powers away from scrutiny of judicial powers and Parliament, in effect, eroding Parliamentary Sovereignty.

> Clause 9 & Clause 11, in particular, is open to interpretation and abuse.

> The bill is in direct violation of International Law and completely diminishes the diplomatic and soft power the UK has left in the world.

> If you do not take a publicly speak out against this Nationality And Borders Bill, I will have no choice but to vote against you in upcoming elections.

> I look forward to hearing your response very soon.