TRUSTPOLITICS
Chris Philp

Chris Philp

Conservative — Croydon South

Speaking in the House of Commons on 12 May 2025

Debate

Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

Contribution

The hon. Gentleman will know that around the world, there are very many female and child refugees. The last Government welcomed many of them here under the UK resettlement scheme from Syria. The young men who push themselves to the front of the queue in Calais are displacing potentially more deserving applicants. They are embarking from France, which is a manifestly safe country with a well-functioning asylum system. Nobody—including young men from Eritrea—needs to leave France to seek sanctuary when they can perfectly well claim asylum in France. Article 31 of the refugee convention, which in general terms prohibits the criminalisation of refugees, expressly says that that only applies if someone comes “directly” from a place of danger. France is not a place of danger. Much better that we choose the deserving cases, rather than having people pay criminal gangs to enter this country illegally from a place, namely France, which is safe.
← Previous speaker
In this debate
Next speaker →
In this debate

More from Chris Philp

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

View Chris Philp's full report card →

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.

For Chris Philp's full parliamentary record including voting history, expenses and all other contributions, see the Chris Philp report card.