Nationality and Borders Bill: Sheffield campaigners vow to continue calling out ‘racist’ immigration bill

The Nationality and Borders Bill, which was passed by MPs in the House of Commons in December, entered the House of Lords for the first day of its committee stage on January 27, where amendments were being suggested.

More than 100 people gathered outside Sheffield Town Hall on Saturday (January 29) after marching from The Moor to call for the Government to scrap the bill, which has been labelled as ‘racist’.

The bill has come under fire from human rights activists, who have said that it could affect up to six million UK citizens including two in five people from non-white ethnic minority backgrounds.

Why are campaigners opposed to the Nationality and Borders Bill?

Clause nine of the bill states that the Government has the power to revoke citizenship without notice and will limit the ability to appeal, and this particular clause has been a cause of contention since the bill was introduced.

Protesters are also concerned that the Nationality and Borders Bill will create a hostile environment for refugees and asylum seekers coming to the UK, and make those already living in the UK less secure.

Sheffield Central Labour MP Paul Blomfield, in his speech, said that the bill is a ‘bad law in every sense’ and should be rejected by all.

He said: “As a party, we have been fighting this bill at every stage, arguing against it, trying to amend it, voting against it at the House of Commons and the House of Lords, like we did for the policing bill.

"It’s a bad law in every sense – it’s morally dispensable and politically dishonest.

"When we challenge it, they (the Tories) know that the core proposals within this bill won’t work even by their own standards because it’s not designed as law, but it’s designed for the Daily Mail headlines and still designed to shore up their populist base.”

‘A two-tier system of citizenship’

Founder of Mums United Sahir Irshad said the bill is ‘reflective of this Government’s systematic failure of fostering a hostile environment’.

She added: “Instead of compassion, they show indifference. there is a two-tier system of citizenship in this country. They are making this the law with this bill. It represents scary and dangerous times for all of us.

“This clause would give Priti Patel power to remove your citizenship in secret without even having to tell you, and effectively deny you an appeal.

"The British government says it’s possible to strip people of their citizenship if they have a nationality to fall back on.”

Sheffield-based socialist activist Maxine Bowler said: “This is about making people second class citizens and we cannot tolerate that kind of nonsense.

"There are a few horrible nasty people in Parliament and we are thousands of us in this country. We are the anti racist majority but we need to start to mobilise that majority if we want to win.”

The rally also saw the presence of representatives from other Sheffield-based movements including Stand Up to Racism, Trade Union Council, Black Lives Matter, and Sheffield Labour councillors.

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