UK — Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is proposing an immigration and asylum bill to be placed before Members of Parliament. The bill is scheduled to be presented on Tuesday.

The legislation proposes to limit asylum applications under human rights law and increase the forced removal of individuals refused asylum. It also proposes to introduce stringent age checks for people claiming to be children and aims to strengthen age assessments. The bill is expected to direct how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in immigration and deportation cases.

Mahmood claimed that the right to family life has in some cases been used to frustrate removals and undermine public confidence in the rule of law. The bill will outline a new structure for asylum tribunals by dropping an independent court system and replacing it with a new appeals body within the Home Office. The bill allows for the immediate forced removal of those who have exhausted all appeals. The modern slavery framework will be amended to stop the late presentation of claims. Indefinite leave to remain changes are not part of the bill but could be introduced via secondary legislation.

The bill is expected to face opposition from some Labour, Liberal Democrat, and independent MPs. Andy Burnham's team is aware of the bill and its contents. A recent report by a coalition of refugee and children's rights organizations stated that the government's proposed use of AI to estimate the age of asylum seekers could create new risks for children.

Jo Cobley, chief executive of Safe Passage International, said: "We were anticipating this bill to be introduced after a new prime minister is confirmed, but it seems the home secretary is determined to push through these harsh plans for refugees. We are very concerned about these changes, particularly the anticipated restrictions to family reunion for refugees. If the government wants to have more control of its own asylum system, by preventing Channel crossings, it must start by offering refugees safe routes to protection and family."

Anita Hurrell, co-chair of the Refugee and Migrant Children's Consortium, said: "We are concerned about how the measures expected to be in the immigration and asylum bill next week will impact on children including child victims of modern slavery. We're also worried about how tightening the definition of family life and the public interest test could affect children and young people's ability to reunite and stay together with their family, including for children who have been bereaved and might have different structures. Age assessment measures risk leading to more children wrongly assessed as adults in bewildering and unsafe adult asylum system."