To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessments they conducted when the hostile environment policy for illegal immigrants was adopted.
Answered on
4 May 2018
The term 'hostile environment' was first coined by Alan Johnson when he was Home Secretary. The current Home Secretary has made it clear that he will no longer be using this term.
Successive Governments have brought forward measures to prevent illegal immigration and the misuse of public services and benefits. Impact assessments on the Immigration Acts 2014 and 2016 were published during the passage of the legislation, and key compliant environment measures on immigration checks by employers and landlords have been the subject of public consultations.
Many checks, such as right to rent and right to work, are applicable to everyone in the UK on a non-discriminatory basis. Checks are often conducted independently of the Home Office and so it is not possible for the Government to accurately estimate the number of individuals who have been impacted by these measures.