The UK’s Nationality and Borders Bill Policy: Its Impact on Refugees and Asylum Seekers

The United Kingdom (UK) introduced the Nationality and Borders Bill (2021) to address illegal immigration. This article argues that the UK’s historical asylum policies have contributed to marginalising asylum seekers through a process of “othering.” It demonstrates how policy language and symbols, combined with media discourse, frame asylum seekers as security threats. The power dynamics among public officials and humanitarian agencies further legitimise refugees as the “other.” The article suggests a bottom-up approach involving civil society organisations to incorporate refugee voices in challenging dominant narratives and policymaking. By sharing refugee narratives, this article reveals that refugees are conscious of being marginalised and advocate for policy change. This approach not only empowers them but also helps expose existing stereotypes and power imbalances within mainstream immigration policies.