Channel Crossings in Small Boats Debate

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Department: Home Office

Channel Crossings in Small Boats

Margaret Ferrier Excerpts
Wednesday 2nd September 2020

(3 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Chris Philp Portrait Chris Philp
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Yes, I do. We need to reform our laws to make sure that we target our protection at those who are genuinely in need, and we need to show zero tolerance to the ruthless criminals who are preying on human misery.

Margaret Ferrier Portrait Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (SNP)
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Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to human rights and migration lawyers, who do an essential job in upholding the rule of law and preventing the Home Office from breaking its international obligations under human rights and refugee conventions?

Chris Philp Portrait Chris Philp
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I do not believe that the Home Office breaches its human rights obligations; we take them extremely seriously. We suffer from a large number of very late legal challenges—often repeated legal challenges, brought sequentially on ever shifting grounds—and we are working as hard as we possibly can to make sure that our laws are properly and fairly applied.