This book provides an insightful analysis of recent developments in immigration, asylum and citizenship law in the broader social and political context. Written accessibly by an experienced practitioner, it critically examines the development of UK immigration control since the second world war, identifying and focusing on the grievous collateral damage being caused to the rule of law and to society. It examines the decline in standards of public administration, the secular failure to follow the rule of law, and the related issues of social corrosion and lack of democratic accountability. Speaking to academics, practitioners, policy makers and all those concerned about the impact of the hostile environment, it makes proposals for legal changes which prioritise social cohesion: a shared burden of proof, a simple regularisation scheme and clear path to citizenship, and details how these would operate in practice.