"Q My question is for you, Alp, picking up on some of the earlier commentary. You made reference to Australia, Denmark, the USA and Greece, which have reduced numbers applying for asylum through measures that bear no resemblance to the Bill. What should we put in the Bill to …..." Blake Stephenson - View Speech
"Q What changes would you like to see to clause 21? Just to make sure that I do not go off track, what changes does your organisation want to see to clause 21 and why? What would the implication be for the potential number of asylum seekers claiming in …..." Blake Stephenson - View Speech
"Q In the view of the International Rescue Committee, what safe routes should be opened up today to deal with the issue that you have just described?
Angela Afzal: We welcome the safe routes that the Home Secretary has recently announced. We think that they are a positive development. …..." Blake Stephenson - View Speech
"Q May I just stop you? I appreciate what you are saying, but you are not answering my question. If you do not think that the Bill will be adequate to stop people from crossing the channel in an unsafe way, how many legal routes would your organisation want …..." Blake Stephenson - View Speech
Angela Afzal: The opportunity of having safe routes means that the Government can control the numbers and where people come from. That would provide a controlled route. The Government would know where people are coming from and who they are, and could …..." Blake Stephenson - View Speech
"Q Given the concerns that you have raised, how likely is it that the Bill will restore confidence in the asylum system? If that is not likely, what else would you like to see in it that would restore confidence?
"Q The same question, briefly, Will. Do you also have any international experience that it might be worth us hearing about, maybe from Australia and so on?
Dr Prescott: Building on what the others have said, there are obviously bits in the Bill that are very positive. The expansion …..." Blake Stephenson - View Speech
"Q I do not wish to cut you off, but I asked the question to all three panellists. Eleanor, briefly, please.
Eleanor Lyons: Very briefly, touching on part 5 of the Bill in particular, I do not think we will restore confidence in the asylum system by weakening protections …..." Blake Stephenson - View Speech
"Q In answer to Matt Vickers’s question, you said that, as a result of the Bill, exploiting our borders will be less attractive for organised criminals. What specific measures in the Bill does your organisation think contributes to that assessment?