Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK immigration law hoards the spoils of colonialism

UK immigration law hoards the spoils of colonialism

Britain enriched itself by exploiting other countries and their people, called them part of the British Empire, and now it’s shutting its doors and treating them like criminals.
On the 13th of May 2021, we saw the home office attempt to detain and deport two men of Indian origin in a dawn raid in Glasgow. After a successful protest by their neighbours, Lakhvir Singh and Sumit Sehdev were released, but branded criminals by the Home Office who vowed to deport them.

Beyond the fact that the men have lived in Scotland for more than ten years and have established their lives in Britain, there is another, less talked about reason, why Britain owes those men at the very least, a life free from state-sanctioned harassment. That is, the legacy of the British Empire and its impact, which is being felt today and will be for centuries to come, by people from its former colonies.

Today, the majority of asylum seekers originate from countries that until 30-60 years ago were under colonial rule, writes Lucy Mayblin in her book Asylum After Empire. Refugees coming across the English Channel are mainly from Yemen, Eritrea, Chad, Egypt, Sudan, and Iraq – all former British and French colonies.

The coercive takeover of countries that formed the British Empire sewed chaos. Culture, rituals, and existing economies were destroyed. Over time things would get more complex, and even as many countries became independent, the seeds for conflict and poverty had been planted. Eventually, people from those countries would be desperate enough to make life-threatening journeys across land and sea to peaceful parts of the world.

The effects of colonialism are complex and varied, but the patterns of poverty and conflict in countries in the wake of empire are undeniable. In South Africa where I’m from it will take hundreds of years for new, non-violent ways of life to materialise. The country’s not at war like some of Europe’s other conquests, but with a murder rate of around 57 people per day, violence is part of people’s everyday life.

The New Plan for Immigration, introduced by the Home Secretary on 24th of March 2021, keeps migrants from colonial countries, who aren’t affluent or skilled in specific ways, from entering the UK at all – whether that’s to seek asylum, or just to visit a family member. It criminalises asylum seekers based on how they get to the UK, whether their claims are legitimate or not, and puts people like Sumit Sehdev and Lakhvir Singh from Kenmure Street in a constant state of uncertainty and mental distress. Not to mention the devastating effects it’s having on the lives of British-born people.

Brexit was decided based on the idea that immigrants come to the UK to take jobs and resources. Home Secretary, Priti Patel calls immigration unfair to people whose taxes fund public services, without considering at all, the fact that fortunes made from slavery and empire, paid for that infrastructure and paved the way to modern Britain.

These were the same ideas that gave rise to the legislative walls of Apartheid in South Africa. The UK’s immigration policies are no different. They work to restrict access to wealth, more often than not, from people whose countries have been destroyed by colonialism. Migration and refugee law specialist Nadine El-Enany calls immigration law, whether in the form of the hostile environment, visa requirements or other external border controls, an ongoing expression of empire, “part of an attempt to control access to the spoils of empire which are located in Britain.”

Brits that support tighter and tighter immigration laws have no idea the benefits they’ve received from the exploitation of colonial resources that would have otherwise improved the quality of life for Indian-born people like Sumit Sehdev and Lakhvir Singh of Kenmure Street.

Countries that have been, and continue to enrich themselves from colonial relationships, need to remember where their fortunes came from – and why a hospitable environment for people who come from countries devastated in the wake of colonialism, is the least they can do.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×