The Prime Minister has rightly set out his five priorities for the Government this year. One of these points is to halt the dangerous cross-channel border crossings made from the coast of Northern Europe. In the past I have seen first-hand the situation around the beaches surrounding Calais, and I have heard from asylum seekers directly about the effect of people smuggling gangs preying on the vulnerable there.
The Illegal Migration Bill is the latest in a series of legislation that the Government has brought forward to help solve this delicate issue. Like many of my colleagues in Parliament, I agree with the aims and objectives of the Bill, fixing our asylum system and protecting the most vulnerable fleeing from persecution and conflict across the Globe.
In Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner we have a very diverse constituency boosting all elements of the community. Changing demographics mean that we have a declining working-age population and in order to maintain a sufficient number of workers, we often rely on immigrants working in the NHS, in high street shops and providing vital services such as education.
I have long been an advocate for safe and legal routes that allow for the diversity of communities such as ours. Under current proposals, these routes are severely limited and restricted, meaning that those seeking to flee persecution have no choice but to make the dangerous journey across the English Channel.
This evening, I spoke in the Bill’s committee stage on the floor of the House. In the brief time that I had available, I drew from my experience in this area to raise a number of issues with Ministers in the hope that the legislation will be refined further. Due to limits on time, I focused my remarks on protections for underage asylum seekers and on the Bill’s impact on our human rights commitment.
You can watch the full debate here.
