L

Lord Davies of Gower (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 13 June 2025

Debate

Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill [HL]

Contribution

My Lords, I shall continue and maybe it will become clear to the noble Baroness. Once a claim for asylum has been determined and found to be without merit, the presumption must shift. At that point, the focus should be on compliance with our immigration system, not on prolonging support mechanisms that are intended for those still within the asylum process. This Bill would do precisely the opposite. By this stage, the decision has been reached. The current system balances support for the person in question while recognising that the person has, according to the determination reached, no reason to remain in the United Kingdom. We have a duty to the person in question, but we also have a fundamental duty to the taxpayer who, at the end of the day, foots the bill. By extending the support period from 28 to 56 days, all we do is risk creating a further incentive for delay and non-compliance. It sends entirely the wrong message, not just to those currently in the system, but to those considering making unfounded claims in the future.

More from Lord Davies of Gower (Con)

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

About Hansard

Hansard is the official verbatim record of proceedings in the UK Parliament. Every word spoken in the Commons and Lords is recorded and published — this page is a single contribution from that record.

Partner sites