On 6 July 2022, the remaining sections of the Nationality and Borders Act (or “NABA”) became law. It introduces grim and far-reaching changes to the UK asylum system and is likely to have a devastating impact on the lives of people fleeing persecution (this means danger specific to them in the country they are from) and seeking safety in the UK. 

It is important to note that most of these changes do not apply to people who lodged their claims for asylum before 28 June 2022.  

It is now illegal for someone who needs  a visa to enter the UK to arrive in the country without one. Nationals of all refugee-producing countries must have a visa to enter the UK. This means that almost everyone who enters the UK to claim asylum will now technically be breaking the law. The crime carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. 

It is worth noting, however, that it is unlikely that people seeking asylum will be prosecuted (have criminal proceedings brought against them) often because this would put a lot of pressure on the courts and prison system. Even if we are to say prosecutions are rare in practice, the existence of this section of NABA is a worrying sign of the UK’s stance against immigration.