Landlord immigration checks could cause ‘everyday racism’ – Labour

“The new document checks could become the modern equivalent of the “no dogs, no blacks, no Irish” signs and, by being more insidious, such casual discrimination will be far harder to challenge”.

Burnham believes that the bill is at odds with the speech given by David Cameron last week, where he promised to end discrimination and “finish the fight for real equality” as well as highlighting the issue of young job-seekers with “white-sounding names” on their CVs getting a better response than others.

“Right to Rent checks must be performed on a non-discriminatory basis – landlords are advised to check and record identity documents for all new tenants”.

The government says it want to stamp out abuse of the system, but Labour has branded the bill “disproportionate, divisive [and] deceitful”.

The right to rent landlord checks have been piloted in the West Midlands and although no official evaluation has yet been published, a study by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants found that 42% of landlords said they were less likely to rent a property to someone who does not have a British passport.

British lawmakers pushed a bill against illegal immigrants over its first parliamentary hurdle on Tuesday, amid warnings of a possible rise in discrimination as the government hardens its rhetoric.

He said: “In practice, it could end up making Britain a more hostile place for anyone with a foreign-sounding name”. It is feared that, rather than carry out the checks, a few landlords will select people on the grounds of their name or ethnicity.

It also raised human rights concerns about extending “deport first, appeal later” powers, requiring banks to check the immigration status of their account holders, and new powers to seize cars belonging to illegal immigrants who drive unlawfully while in Britain. The Bill will then return to the Commons for MPs to consider any changes. Anyone who discriminates would be breaking the law. Labour MPs are being instructed to oppose the Bill at second reading this week.

The JCWI said: “The policy has resulted in instances of discrimination against tenants, including BME tenants, who do have the Right to Rent in the UK”.

May drew criticism for a speech this month in which she said too high immigration made a “cohesive society” impossible, seen as a bid to position herself as a potential right-wing future candidate for the Conservative leadership.

Burnham said landlords were ill-equipped and unwilling to act as border guards when having to check documentation proving the legal status, or otherwise, of prospective tenants who are considering to be migrants.

A Home Office spokesperson has declined to comment.