The British government announced on Wednesday that it is toughening immigration rules, making it nearly impossible for undocumented migrants arriving on small boats or hidden in vehicles to later obtain British citizenship.

Under the new guidelines, migrants who enter the UK through these means will normally be refused citizenship, reinforcing the government’s stance on illegal immigration.

“This guidance further strengthens measures to make it clear that anyone who enters the UK illegally, including small boat arrivals, faces having a British citizenship application refused,” a Home Office spokesperson stated.

Political Pressure and Backlash

The decision comes amid mounting pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government to reduce migration, especially after Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party secured around four million votes in the last general election—an unprecedented success for a far-right party.

However, the policy has faced criticism, even from within Labour ranks.

Labour MP Stella Creasy condemned the move, arguing on X (formerly Twitter), “If we give someone refugee status, it can’t be right to then refuse them a route to become a British citizen.” She warned that this policy would leave refugees “forever second class.”

Meanwhile, Free Movement, an immigration law blog, described the change as “incredibly spiteful and damaging to integration”, noting that it could immediately block a large number of refugees from becoming British citizens.

New Border Security Measures

The announcement coincides with parliamentary debates on the government’s new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which aims to grant law enforcement counter-terror-style powers to disrupt smuggling gangs transporting irregular migrants across the English Channel.

Legal and undocumented migration—both at historically high levels—was a key political issue in the July 2024 general election that brought Starmer to power.

Upon taking office, Starmer scrapped his predecessor Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda deportation plan, instead pledging to “smash the gangs” behind illegal crossings.

Rising Channel Crossings

According to provisional figures from the UK’s interior ministry, 36,816 people crossed the English Channel in 2024, marking a 25% increase from the 29,437 arrivals in 2023.

With migration remaining a divisive issue, the government’s tougher stance on citizenship signals a continued effort to deter illegal arrivals while navigating political and humanitarian concerns.