Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that proposed changes to asylum policy do not lead to the stigmatisation of people who enter the UK illegally to claim asylum.

The New Plan for Immigration published on 24^th March set out the intended reforms to the end-to-end asylum system. We stand by the principle that people in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and not travel through multiple safe countries in an attempt to reach the UK illegally. Our proposals are designed to help discourage those perilous journeys, protect life and break the business model of criminal networks behind illegal immigration.

All policy development will be undertaken in line with the law, including our equalities duties and international obligations.