Member

The Government’s intention in introducing these new offences is to target the supply chains of people-smuggling networks and to prevent risk to lives at sea posed by those connected to the facilitation of crossings. The Bill, therefore, needs to be amended to ensure that these vulnerable groups are not inadvertently criminalised and subject to long periods of incarceration. These amendments seek to target individuals involved in people smuggling, rather than those seeking protection, and to safeguard vulnerable individuals from criminalisation by amending the statutory defences to include those who did not gain financially from their actions. Therefore, that would bring the Bill closer to the Government’s aim, already stated by the Minister, of tackling the gangs and going for the smugglers.