Theresa May’s aim of creating in Britain “a really hostile environment for illegal migration” is embodied in two pieces of legislation, both of which could have damaging consequences for many individuals and create a wider risk of discrimination against legal migrant workers.
The Immigration Act 2016 requires banks and building societies to check accounts and prevent continued access to banking for illegal migrants. The act also delegates to the Treasury the power to make regulations determining how the regime would work in practice.