Baroness Falkner of Margravine (CB)

My Lords, I too need to apologise to the House because I have not spoken previously on the Bill. I am therefore required, I am afraid, to add a few seconds of tedium in declaring my interest as chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. I am required to do that, but I emphasise that I am speaking tonight in a personal capacity. I rise to question what was said by the noble Lord, Lord Goddard, and others who referred to the Government’s desire to protect those people who are vulnerable, who might be migrants or new arrivals, and who might not know their rights under the law. Of course that is a laudable aim. However, as someone who is a first-generation migrant—I came to this country in my own capacity—and who has slowly learned of my rights and my ability to exercise them, I can say to the noble Lord, Lord Goddard, that there is very good reason why those people need autonomy and privacy. They may not wish to be the subject of litigation because they have very palpable concerns about safety and their economic and familial status, particularly in a world with social media and high levels of media attention, if they are exposed as having done anything at all these days. The reason that migrants and vulnerable new arrivals in our country keep a low profile, when they choose to do so, is very understandable. The idea that the state should pluck them, decide that they have been badly treated and use them as an example is pretty shocking and deleterious to their interests. It will not help them; they will hide under cover even more than they already do.