I was pleased to speak at the report stage of the Nationality and Borders Bill this week. I spoke about the UK’s long-standing reputation as a beacon of human rights and the discretion under international law, and domestic law, regarding how we exercise our responsibilities. I also noted how many of the controversies around the Bill are about the operations, rather than the legislation itself.
I agree that it should be open to the Home Office, should effective scientific methods be developed, to use such methods for the purposes of age assessments. I welcome the engagement of the Minister, and other Ministers, on those issues.
I also stated that we need a new COP26 on the issue of global migration. The world is changing, and the challenges faced by asylum seekers and the numbers on the move mean we must update the way we respond, in partnership with our allies.
Finally, I made the point that as a champion of human rights we should be proud of the UK’s record in that respect, and we should renew our dedication to being a beacon of human rights in the future.
