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

My hon. Friend makes a good point, and it is germane to the earlier discussion about people crossing the channel illegally. So long as we have 11,000 or 12,000 people crossing the channel a year—as I said, this is the worst year ever—it is very difficult to create safe and legal routes, because our capacity is completely taken up by people entering the country illegally. If we can stop illegal migration by using the measures I suggested, and a removals deterrent in particular, that will create capacity for a limited safe and legal route for people who we—the Government and Parliament—judge to be deserving. We did that for the Syria crisis, where the UK resettlement scheme went to refugee camps on the Syrian borders, identified the most vulnerable refugees—often women and children—and brought them to the UK, instead of having people crossing the channel illegally and pushing their way to the front of the queue. That is exactly what a new, tougher approach on illegal immigration would facilitate.
← 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.