Right to Rent Immigration Checks Have Its Own Risks

The right to rent immigration checks created problem to the government of UK as well as private landlords. The scheme was implemented on Feb.,1, 2016. It was designed to cut down illegal migrations yet affected private landlords, UK native residents, and even the government.

More landlords are completely unaware of the right to rent immigration checks. The very limited publicity of the law caused the problems, as admitted by Home Office that the scheme was left unmonitored. As noticed, at least a proportion of England's 1.8million private landlords are completely unaware or do not understand the right to rent immigration checks. The burden of checking was laid on private landlords shoulders and it gave some problems out of simple failures, such as the applicants do not possess even a British passport.

Under the law, a private landlord or housing associations that have failed to follow the procedure through the right to rent immigration checks in accepting applicants may be charged criminally. Most possible, they may react if their action is caused by ignorance. According to Siamlandbank, the right to rent obligations could lead to racism because it stigmatizes well-off tenants.

The right to rent immigration scheme gave problems also to applicants. They can be denied due to failure to present a simple requirement. This problem was noticed and felt not only to illegal migrants but also to vulnerable people who are legitimate residents of England that cannot afford to comply even a single requirement. Aside from this, the procedure has so many other burdens that could mean the applicants may not pass the checks.

The number of homeless people has increased because even renting a flat became difficult. The processing of documents for the right to rent immigration checks also posed problems to some refugees who have been accepted in the UK since they should wait for many weeks for the approval of their application. 

Concerned institutions like Housing Justice, a national charity that supports local groups and churches to house homeless people,  complained against the scheme as they told the Guardian that the right to rent immigration checks could act as a barrier to their work. this also increased the number of homeless people since they can't get either a social or a private tenancy.

The right to rent immigration checks is now effective in England and planned to be extended to Scotland, Wales and North Ireland. The effect of the scheme that today is seen more damaging than building might be the reason for a potential review.

Tags

right to rent immigration checks, private landlords, England, illegal migrants, Housing Justice

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