Brian Rushton Crisis mismanagement

Brian Rushton,

A bad policy in any language

HAVING diagnosed the problem—a “swarm” of migrants attempting to gain access to Britain at the French port of Calais—David Cameron required a cure. So, on August 3rd, his government announced two measures. First, it would seek to extend across the country a pilot scheme that holds landlords responsible for checking tenants’ right to rent, and thus their right to be in Britain, while threatening to jail those caught failing to uphold their new duties. Second, it would consider removing financial support for rejected asylum seekers with children. This, said James Brokenshire, the immigration minister, would send a message “that Britain is not a soft touch on asylum” and, in doing so, help halt the flow at Calais.

Evidence from a pilot of the first proposal suggests there is reason to doubt such claims. Since December 2014 landlords in five council areas across the Black Country have been required to obtain from new tenants original documents proving their right to rent, to check the documents’ validity and to retain copies. Failure to do so results in a fine of up to £3,000...Continue reading

via Brian Rushton, Crisis mismanagement