12Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
High Court ruling on trafficking victims shows Conservatives must abolish hostile environment

High Court ruling on trafficking victims shows Conservatives must abolish hostile environment

Parliamentary news
Reacting to news that the High Court has just ruled that trafficking victims should be granted leave to remain in the UK, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “It shouldn’t have taken a court to tell the Home Office that victims of trafficking – some of the most vulnerable people in our country – should be protected. Instead of appealing this judgment, the Government should implement it in full, so that victims are supported when they come forward, helping to bring their slavers to justice. “The Conservatives’ hostile environment is undermining the fight against modern slavery. Priti Patel must abolish it and put tackling these evil criminal gangs first.”
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20Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Reversing Lib Dem Immigration Bill amendments risks “new Windrush-style Scandal”

Reversing Lib Dem Immigration Bill amendments risks “new Windrush-style Scandal”

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Conservatives are risking a new Windrush-style scandal, as the Government overturned the Party's amendments to end indefinite immigration detention and protect the rights of British nationals living in the EU and EU citizens in the UK. This evening, Conservative MPs rejected all 10 cross-party amendments to the Government’s Immigration Bill, passed by the House of Lords earlier this month, including three from the Liberal Democrats. Amendment 5 – tabled by Liberal Democrat Lord Oates – would force the Government to provide EU citizens in the UK who are granted Settled or Pre-Settled Status with physical proof of their migration status, instead of the digital-only proof under the Government’s current system. It was rejected by 331 votes to 260. The 28-day time limit on…
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13Aug 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Millions of EU citizens living with uncertainty must be given right to stay

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to grant EU citizens the automatic right to stay in the UK, with the physical proof they need, as new Home Office figures reveal thousands are being refused and millions are still awaiting a final decision. The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics, published this morning, reveal 4,600 people have been refused Settled Status, while 1,475,500 have only been granted temporary ‘Pre-Settled Status’ and 212,400 are still waiting for a decision. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “For far too long, millions of EU citizens in the UK have been living under a cloud of uncertainty. Boris Johnson cannot be allowed to continue to break his promise to them. “With so many people being refused Settled Status, granted only temporary ‘Pre-Settled…
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09Jul 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Settled Status figures show need for automatic right to stay

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to grant EU citizens the automatic right to stay in the UK, with the physical proof they need, as new Home Office figures reveal thousands are being refused and millions await a final decision. The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics, published this morning, reveal 2,300 people have been refused Settled Status, 1.4 million have only been granted temporary ‘Pre-Settled Status’ and 250,000 are still waiting for a decision. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “EU citizens in the UK have been living under a cloud of uncertainty for far too long. They are our families and friends, our colleagues and carers. They must have the right to stay. “Boris Johnson and the Conservatives promised to automatically guarantee the rights of EU citizens to…
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