Immigration has long proved a divisive issue in the United Kingdom. The latest debate, playing out in Parliament, the British press and social media posts, centers on a new, government-proposed immigration bill that has divided Britons and sparked a major controversy at the BBC.
The bill, almost certain to pass in the Conservative-dominated Parliament, would send the vast majority of asylum seekers back to their home country or to a “safe third country.”
The BBC was caught up in the conversation after the public broadcaster suspended Gary Lineker, former England soccer captain turned host of a popular BBC soccer program, who had criticized the bill on social media. Now, the debate is not only about what to do about asylum seekers, but also about the appropriateness of the sports broadcaster airing political views.
The hubbub over Lineker has drawn international attention to the immigration bill, which critics say is illegal and inhumane.
Here’s what to know about the plan.
*This story has not been edited by The Infallible staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.
