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There's a reasonable argument to make that the hostile environment, sorry "compliant environment", risks actually increasing undocumented migrants, by making it harder for people to access the system. 1/ https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/17/home-office-has-no-idea-how-many-people-are-in-the-uk-illegally?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet
By designing a system to make life as difficult on migrants as possible you don't stop them from migrating, you stop them from being able to formalise their status, forcing them into the grey and black economies. 2/
If @ukhomeoffice was serious about tackling undocumented migration they'd be making it easier for asylum seekers and victims of trafficking to access legal assistance for example. Just saying "we'll deport you" ignores the multitude of reasons people migrate in first place. 3/
The simple fact of the matter is that the hostile environment has had no other effect than to rip families apart and destroy lives. It's never been about targeting "undocumented migrants". It's always been about targeting all migrants. It's beyond time it was scrapped. 4/
This thread by @ZoeJardiniere is an excellent summation of the variety of issues which can lead to people becoming undocumented, and why figures which are used are not a fair reflection. This is not a simple as likes of Patel, Farage et al make out. 5/ https://twitter.com/ZoeJardiniere/status/1273158650669006848?s=19
