Dr Luke Evans, the Member of Parliament for Bosworth, thanked the Prime Minister and Home Secretary for listening to the concerns of many of his constituents and introducing legislation to stop illegal small boat crossings.
The Illegal Migration Bill states that if you enter the United Kingdom illegally you will be detained immediately, removed to safe country within weeks and stopped from making late and spurious claims to frustrate removals. The Bill will also ban those who have come to the UK illegally from claiming asylum here and deny access to the modern slavery system.
The Bill is designed to deal with those coming illegally to the UK at the detriment of those who come via legal routes. Since 2015 the UK has offered sanctuary to 480,000 people from Syria, Afghanistan and Hong Kong, and most recently Ukraine, with over 600 families settled in Leicestershire alone.
Last year over 13,000 people - almost one third of those making the crossing - came from Albania, exploiting the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and crossing as economic migrants.
In 2021, 73 per cent of people who were detained for removal put forward a modern slavery claim, compared to 3 per cent out of the people who were not detained. Guidance now requires claimants to provide evidence of such claims.
Under this Bill, claimants must make claims immediately and will be prevented from submitting repeated asylum, modern slavery and human rights appeals to stay in the UK and obstruct removal. If passed, the Illegal Migration Bill will legislate for the only route to asylum in the UK to be a safe and legal route, with Parliament undertaking an annual vote to cap the number of refugees.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “When I was a GP working in Birmingham I helped support those who have sought asylum here, so have heard their stories first hand, which is why we must stop those exploiting the system who are not genuine. England is a kind, compassionate and generous country, but many more people want to come here than our Local Authorities have the capacity to house and provide the necessary support and public services for.
“I’m pleased to see this Bill bring forward plans for Parliament to vote and agree upon an annual cap on the number of refugees who will be able to claim asylum in the United Kingdom. The best way we can continue to provide assistance to those who need it most, is through safe legal routes.
“The small boat crossings – fuelled by criminal gangs charging thousands of pounds – have claimed too many lives and must be brought to an end. I welcome assurances from the Home Secretary that the Government will seek to put these measures in place as soon as possible.”
Suella Braverman, Home Secretary, said “In the face of today’s global migration crisis, yesterday’s laws are simply not fit for purpose.
“The only way to stop the boats and deter illegal migration is to make clear that if you arrive [in the UK] illegally you are not going to be able to stay here. This is the only way to deliver the deterrent needed to stop people making these dangerous, unnecessary, and illegal crossings.”
