The U.K. government’s recent announcement of hostile immigration policies has outraged campaigners and experts, who argue these measures endanger migrants rather than protect them, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation. It raises the question: has the government learned nothing from the harms and failures of the Rwanda scheme and the recent far-right riots across the U.K.?

Lessons of past government failures not learned

The government’s failure to learn from past mistakes and its capitulation to anti-migrant rhetoric exacerbates the vulnerability of people on the move, making the situation more perilous for those seeking safety.

As reported by The Big Issue, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper unveiled plans to increase deportations to the highest rate possible and expand immigration detention, framing them as efforts to “smash the gangs” and bolster border security. However, these strategies are eerily reminiscent of past approaches that have failed to protect migrants and have instead contributed to their exploitation.

Mary Atkinson, campaigns and networks manager at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, criticized these policies, stating that,

“Labour are choosing to ramp up hostile immigration policies and a ‘security’-driven approach. This is nothing new – in fact, it’s the same approach that’s led to people dying at our borders, treated inhumanely in prison-like detention centers and denied their rights.”

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