Member

So, in essence, I oppose the amendments because they are designed, maybe not deliberately, to make prosecutions and enforcement more difficult. They weaken and invalidate the legislation, or at least the draft Bill as it now stands, and ignore the wider public interest in preventing illegal immigration and the current significant concern at uncontrolled immigration. The amendments disregard the acute and urgent geopolitical pressures around irregular or illegal immigration. They reduce the push factor and increase the pull factor in people trafficking and that business model, and the business model of organised crime gangs. I know that the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, will not like the next few words, but the amendments place international treaties above the safety and security of British citizens, thereby moving accountability and decision-making in this key security and safety area even further away from the electorate, from ordinary British voters.