Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: HL Bill 101 of 2024–25

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill aims to enhance UK border security and reform the asylum and immigration systems by coordinating responses to border threats and applying counter-terrorism powers to tackle organised immigration crime. Measures contained in the bill include:

• provisions to make the border security commander a statutory office holder and establish their functions
• new immigration offences related to preparatory acts to commit immigration crimes and endangering another during a sea crossing to the UK
• new law enforcement powers for immigration offences, including the powers to search, seize and retain certain articles and to access, copy and retain information
• repeal of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 and certain provisions of the Illegal Migration Act 2023
• new offences concerning articles used in serious organised crime
• amendments to serious crime prevention orders and the introduction of interim serious crime orders

The government argues the bill would “enable smarter, faster and more effective interventions” to protect UK border security and “make it easier to detect, disrupt and deter” organised criminal gangs.

The official opposition supported certain measures, including the law enforcement powers for serious crime. However, it was critical of various proposals, particularly the provisions which would repeal existing immigration and asylum legislation, arguing that it removed deterrents against irregular migration. During the bill’s progress through the House of Commons, the Conservatives tabled several amendments seeking to introduce stricter legal migration rules, and the Liberal Democrats and SNP sought to create new safe and legal humanitarian routes. None of these amendments were agreed to. The government added a number of new clauses to the bill at committee and report stage.