Member

Finally, Amendment 203 would apply Section 31 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to this set of offences. Again, I appreciate the intention behind the amendment but we are concerned about the unintended consequences this will have. It risks blurring the lines between those to whom legal protection should be afforded and the actions of those who may be exploiting the system. Someone who supplies forged documents, helps others cross borders and gathers information to assist illegal entry may be part of a criminal network, and we cannot make the assumption that they are in fact a persecuted individual seeking entry to the UK. We have to construct a legal system that does not distinguish between a refugee acting out of necessity and a facilitator hiding behind refugee status.