Illegal UK immigrants to face closure of bank accounts: Home Office

LONDON - In a strong exception to illegal immigration, the authorities in the United Kingdom have announced to shut the bank accounts of illegal immigrants in the country.

The Home Office announced on Thursday that it began sharing data with the financial sector so it can refuse to open new bank accounts and close existing accounts of people who are in the UK illegally.

The department - responsible for responsible for immigration, security, and law and order - said making it difficult for illegal migrants to access financial services is "an important tool to help deter illegal migration" as this move would stop them from working illegally.

The government has however clarified that anybody with outstanding immigration applications or appeals will not be affected.

Commenting on the issue, Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said access to key banking services, including current accounts, is crucial in aiding those here unlawfully to gain a foothold in British society.

"As the prime minister has set out, we are committed to going further and faster to prevent the abuse of our laws and borders," he said.

"Only those known to be here unlawfully or those who have absconded from immigrational control will have their details shared, with robust safeguards in place to prevent wrongful account closures."

The move garnered appreciation from anti-immigration circles but invited criticism from rights groups as Amnesty International UK alleged the government of using private companies to impose what it called "hugely damaging, immigration policy".

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty's refugee and migrant rights director said the move is 'one of many ways the government has co-opted private bodies and civil society into its miserable, and often hugely damaging, immigration policy'.

"It's clear ministers do not care about who they harm or how because they've sold themselves to whipping up suspicion and even hate by constantly demonising migrants to excuse their woeful mismanagement of the immigration system," he opined in strong worded remarks.

Under the fresh announcement, banks will not be required to check customers' documents for their migration status but the Home Office will share details of illegal migrants following which banks can check their personal current account holders against the list. The officials say that bank accounts will only be shut when the Home Office makes a further manual check to certify that the customer is in the UK and lacks permission to stay.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had announced the plan in December 2022 to re-start data sharing in a bid to tackle the crisis of illegal working and immigration. The plan was first executed back in 2018 but was suspended after few months by the then home secretary, Sajid Javid after it emerged that the government had wrongly categorized some bank accounts.