A Qualitative Examination of Policing Undocumented Migration in the West Midland Region: Understanding the Experiences of Undocumented Migrants and Law Enforcement Agencies

The issues of small boats crossing the English Channel, immigration detention centres, and the asylum system are highly discussed topics in the United Kingdom (UK) due to undocumented migration. Despite the efforts of the UK government and the Home Office to tighten its borders by strict and stringent immigration policies, these measures have not effectively achieved their objectives. In fact, these measures have negatively impacted the immigration pattern, which was exploited by migrant smugglers and increased the number of undocumented migrants in the UK. Based on detailed qualitative interviews with fifteen undocumented migrants and nine law enforcement officers in the West Midlands region, this thesis provides a unique understanding of the lived experience of undocumented migrants and law enforcement officers' experience policing undocumented migrants. This thesis employed zemiological (social harm approach) and border criminology to understand the range of harms experienced by undocumented migrants and the impact of immigration policies on their lives.

The findings of the study highlight that undocumented migrants experience a spectrum of harm whilst navigating the informal job market, health and social care, education, and criminal justice system, including the police. The findings also demonstrate that vulnerability and harm produced by the UK's immigration policies are fundamentally deliberate rather than an unintended consequence. The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified the harm experienced by these vulnerable people, and the government has little knowledge of the true number of undocumented migrants' deaths due to COVID-19. Despite these issues, government functionaries like the Home Office and Immigration Authority continue to defend their position on current immigration policies, which contribute to a range of harm, including physical, financial, psychological, and cultural harm.

Furthermore, undocumented migrants often find themselves in highly vulnerable and exploitative situations, unable to access the criminal justice system due to their lack of legal status, which is frequently exploited by criminals and opportunists. Interactions with law enforcement officers (both police and immigration officers) found that their priorities are often aligned with policymakers and senior management within law enforcement agencies. Whilst some police officers are willing to support these undocumented migrants, the paradoxical nature of immigration policies forces them to focus on enforcement. This thesis questions the ethical responsibilities and effectiveness of current immigration policies and their implementation, highlighting the special liberties taken by policymakers at the expense of these vulnerable undocumented migrants.
The thesis concludes that current immigration policies are ethically indefensible and practically ineffective. The evidence reveals that restrictive policies fail to prevent migration whilst pushing vulnerable people into exploitative situations that criminals actively exploit. Key recommendations include implementing firewall protections between essential services and immigration enforcement, establishing safe crime reporting mechanisms, and developing regularisation pathways that prioritise human rights over deterrence.