Alex Massie Alex Massie

Priti Patel’s immigration crackdown is a sham

Once you accept that Brexit is happening – because, like it or not, the British people demanded it – it is not so very hard to accept that Brexit must come with consequences. In the absence of free movement from the European Union to the United Kingdom, new immigration arrangements must be put in place. As a political matter – which should not be confused with the policy design or practical application of new immigration controls – these must be seen to be tougher than the regime which preceded it. That is the meaning of ‘Take Back Control’.

So it is no great surprise that the measures announced today represent, on the surface, a toughening of immigration rules. A low moment, you may feel, and I am inclined to agree. But in a political sense, the government will be satisfied with the reaction the new regulations have provoked. The more its opponents complain, the happier ministers and their aides will be. There is no better way of signalling victory to your own supporters than by pointing to the lamentation of your foes. This is the point of Priti Patel. If proposals for an ostensibly-onerous ‘points-based’ system provoked no reaction, how would the government’s supporters know they’d triumphed?

And the new rules are, of course, more onerous than those they replace even if would-be immigrants from outwith the EU might observe that the previous regime was rather less generous than popularly imagined. Still, you can scarcely move on Twitter today without coming across people complaining that they – or their parents or grandparents – would not be eligible to come and live and work in the UK had these arrangements been in place back in the day. Again, as far as the government is concerned: job done, signal sent.

The more its opponents complain, the happier ministers and their aides will be.

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