Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting my about the Nationality and Borders Bill.

On the 19th and 20th July 2021, the House of Commons debated the Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill for the first time.

This Bill seeks to implement proposed changes to the UK asylum system, outlined by the Government earlier this year. These include differential treatment for asylum seekers based on how they arrive in the UK, harsher sentences, and plans to hold asylum seekers in offshore hubs.

The Home Secretary says the asylum system is broken and that these proposals will increase fairness in the system, deter illegal entry to the UK and break the business model of people traffickers. However, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that the plans could be a breach of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

While I agree that we need address the increasing numbers of people crossing the English Channel in small boats, I fear the reality of the Government’s proposals is that they will reduce support for victims of human trafficking and make the dangerous situation in the Channel even worse.

I am concerned that the Government is doing nothing to address the breakdown in the asylum system that it has overseen since 2010, with application processing times now appallingly slow. The share of asylum applications that received an initial decision within six months fell from 87% in 2014 to just 20% in 2019. I believe the Government should commit to introducing legal targets for processing asylum claims so that they are dealt with in a timely manner.

We know that a lack of safe and legal routes leads to more people risking their lives by making dangerous journeys. Yet, despite noting the importance of safe routes, the Government shamefully closed the Dubs scheme after accepting just 480 unaccompanied children rather than the 3,000 expected. The Government should therefore commit to re-establishing safe and legal routes and help unaccompanied child refugees, while jointly working with other countries to tackle human trafficking.

For these and other reasons, I voted against the Bill at its second reading in the House of Commons. However, the Bill passed with the support of Government MPs by 366 to 265 votes. As the Bill continues to be considered in Parliament, I will be calling for meaningful action to support people, improve the chaotic and inhumane asylum system and bring criminal gangs to justice.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP