Sa November 25, 2020 ay ipapatupad na “Electronic Right to Rent checks” which can be carried out online and in real time simula November 25, 2020. Sa pamamagitan nito ay kayang ma-check ng landlord kung may papel or wala ang prospective tenant. Kung walang papel, the landlord can end the tenancy agreement or not allowed the prospective tenant to rent or else the landlord will receive punishment of the law. At the moment, ito ay implemented pa lamang sa EU Nationals pero maraming mga abogado and legal professionals ang naniniwala that this will be rolled-over to affect other nationalities soon.

If you will remember previously, the employer was given the right check with the Home Office if a person has a right to work. Now the landlord can check has the right to stay. Anong next? Mga kapitbahay na pwedeng tumawag sa Home Office if they think and suspect that someone is an illegal migrant? Some European and Middle East countries I heard have resorted to this strategy. God forbids!

I hope that this country now can make an Amnesty so we can all start a fresh. This government could have been more kind and sympathetic in the midst of this current situation of pandemic Covid-19. But instead they have issued yet another draconian policy that affect human lives and interfere with family and private life. Anong klaseng daigdig na meron tayo ngayon?

The “share code”

There is this new guidance for landlords on Right to Rent checks. As with online Right to Work checks, the system will ask the prospective tenant to give permission to the prospective landlord na makita ang kanilang Home Office immigration record by providing a “share code”.

Dahil sa share code na ito ay nandoon ang nandoon ang birthdate ng tao, malalaman ng landlord kung ang nasa record ng government matches the picture shown online. The system will confirm whether the prospective tenant has a right to rent. Sinasabi sa guidance na yon sa landlord that: “If you enter in to a tenancy agreement with someone on the basis of the online check, but it is reasonably apparent that the person in the photograph on the online service is not the prospective tenant, you may be liable for a penalty if they do not have the right to rent”.

Sino ang natutulungan nito?

Ang gustong gawin ng Immigration Home Office ay bawasan ang napakaraming trabaho ng mga landlords who are now expected to act as Immigration Enforcement officers.

There is this case law by the Court of Appeal which held that the Right to Rent scheme has led to massive discrimination against migrants across the rental sector. Pero sinabi ng Court na ito that the discrimination is ok and it was justified by the public interest in immigration control. Ayaw nila ng maraming illegal migrants sa UK dahil sa maraming gumagamit ng mga services like health, education, public services etc. Kaya ngayon ito ang batas until the Supreme Court overrules this putative policy, in my opinion. 

Maraming mga tnt na kababayan natin ang siguradong maaapektuhan ng batas na ito. – Don Magsino #pinoyukimmigrationexpert
#UKVisaImmigration4Filipinos