The Home Office has officially launched a new task force; the task force will be responsible for collecting evidence to build more robust cases against ‘crooked’ immigration lawyers.
The GOV.UK website states, ‘ We are stepping up action to support regulatory action and prosecution of unscrupulous lawyers, with a new dedicated taskforce and tougher sentences.’
The Task Force will focus on ‘crooked’ lawyers who coach illegal/economic migrants to lie. While the Government made it clear that the vast majority of lawyers ‘act with professionalism and integrity’, there is a minority that creates a massive problem by helping migrants make false claims to remain in the UK illegally.
The Professional Enablers TaskForce will comprise regulatory bodies, Law Enforcement, and Government departments.
The establishment of the taskforce was officially announced after several months of preliminary collaboration with partners aimed at addressing immigration abuse in the legal sector through the enhancement of intelligence sharing among regulators.
Law enforcement officials claim they are taking legal action against immigration lawyers who engage in fraudulent practices to help undocumented migrants stay in the country. These lawyers may face harsh penalties, including life in prison.
Referrals to law enforcement have been made due to suspicions of criminal activity. To provide an example, the task force discovered an immigration firm with ties to a highly wanted human trafficker and promptly alerted the authorities.
Lawyers who coach migrants on remaining in the UK fraudulently may face prosecution under Section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971 for assisting unlawful immigration and could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Professional Enablers Taskforce is investigating abuse in the legal sector and plans to expand to other professionals who enable illegal migration, such as doctors, accountants, and employers.
While this all sounds like meaningful action, the problems of the asylum system are much more profound. The cost to the taxpayer now stands at £1.5 billion a year, with housing migrants in hotels costing £4.7 million every day.
We may have to pay for legal aid due to our agreement with supranational institutions like the ECHR, which has influenced the Illegal Migration Bill. As a result, undocumented migrants and false asylum claimants might be eligible for legal aid fees of up to £51.62 an hour.
In contrast, when legal aid was first introduced in 1949, it allowed 80% of British people access to accessible or affordable legal help. By 2007, government cuts meant only 27% of the population would be eligible for legal aid. In 2013, austerity measures saw the government introduce further cuts via the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act.
This is one of many injustices and unfair practices faced by our people. The cost of Human Rights is too much for our small nation to bear. What about human rights advocates, such as financial institutions, international conglomerates, and supranational organisations like the UN and EU?
What is the cost of Human Rights for them? Should our Nation continue to bear the burden, or should the wealthy who believe themselves morally superior pay a tax on their record profits for investment in deprived parts of the world?
If you feel this injustice is unfair and are sick of naval-gazing elitists, then the Homeland Party is where you belong.