How important are immigration checks nowadays? It appears important for those that are implementing the laws. For those that will not comply, it's jail time. According to a report by conservativehome.com, "Rogue landlords who fail to check whether they are renting flats to illegal immigrants could face five years in jail."
This policy ensures that all tenants are cross-checked and are living legally in the country. According to a report by dailymail.co.uk, "The ministerial announcement is designed to make it harder for anyone without the right to live in this country to rent a home."
Why has this situation occurred? According to a report by propertywire.com, "The changes of the new Immigration Bill comes as the British and French governments struggle to deal with a migration crisis in Calais." It appears that there are a great number of people crossing the Channel at night time to reach the UK. The process of cross-referencing the tenants is not a complicated one. According to a report by dailymail.co.uk, "Under the new rules, landlords and agents will have to carry out 'right to rent' checks on their tenants' immigration status before offering a tenancy agreement."
If for instance the asylum fails to ratify, then that would be the time that certain measures are firmly executed. The government is really serious in ensuring that 'right to rent' checks are properly carried out. According to a report by dailymail.co.uk, "There will be a new criminal offense for those who repeatedly fail to conduct these checks, or fail to take steps to remove illegal immigrants from their property."
The recent policy can have a negative effect on the country as well. According to Richard Lambert, chief executive of the National Landlords Association, "There is a danger that those being evicted end up doing something desperate such as barricading themselves inside a property."
A new era of tenancy and rent policies are now changed in the UK. The Immigration Act 2014 will ensure that the "Right to Rent checks" are indeed carried out to protect the nation's interest not only in this generation but for the coming years as well.
