Lord German (LD)

My Lords, I declare my interest as in the register: I am supported by the Refugee, Asylum and Migration Policy project. I wish to talk about the annual event for this Parliament that is an immigration and asylum Bill. Our position on these Benches is clear: we believe that the British people demand a migration system rooted in order and compassion, one that provides a disciplined framework for entry while protecting those fleeing for their lives. The Government, to their credit, have reduced regular migration to near net zero, but we must be honest about our national needs. With an ageing population and a falling birth rate, migration is not a choice but a necessity for GDP growth. Analysis from the OECD is clear. Well-managed migration and successful integration are critical to prevent our economy falling backwards. We agree that those who enter irregularly and do not require protection must be humanely returned. However, an orderly system requires a functional queue, and currently, beyond the micro French deal, no such queue exists. Without a legal path for entry, we cannot effectively address those who jump the queue. I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Teverson, who has described the proposed Bill as being flawed. It is flawed because, first, it targets the wrong people, and, secondly, it is applied retrospectively to people who are already living and working legally in the United Kingdom, in the hope that making their lives difficult will dissuade irregular arrivals. There is no evidence that penalising immigrants living here legally through increased costs, complexities and barriers to family reunion will change the minds of those seeking to come here irregularly. There is no evidence that people seeking to come here irregularly will be dissuaded from coming if they see that those immigrants who have been given protection and are living here legally are being given a tough time. By proposing a road to settlement that favours the wealthy over other hard-working contributors, the Government are creating a system that suggests that millions of legal residents are unwelcome. This is the snakes and ladders policy described by the most reverend Primate earlier today. There is a word cloud in a recent analysis of the problem where people who are going to be affected by this new law were asked to name the migration system in this country by giving one word to describe the UK immigration system. They were: “confusing”, “hostile”, “frustrating”, “unfair” and an expletive beginning with the letter “s”. As one EU resident said, “They don’t want to make us feel welcome and let us belong”. As the noble Lord, Lord Pickles, commented, belonging that is just conditional is dangerous for our society. Costs, errors, complexities, family reunion, the effect on employment and education, and hampering children’s development are all problems that the Bill will make worse. Making millions of legal residents feel depressed and unwelcome does nothing to create an orderly or compassionate system, let alone help the pathway to integration. We must move beyond legislation that prioritises fear over humanity and economic common sense.