New Plan for Immigration

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Mr Woodcock asked about the plan's impact on children seeking refuge in Britain. The Home Secretary was questioned on whether this proposal would help or hinder the plight of vulnerable minors.

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Mr Foster questioned the validity of Labour's claims about the Home Office’s record on asylum applications and the Windrush compensation scheme.

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Ms McCarthy asked about measures to address human trafficking and protect victims under the new policies.

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Ms Maskell questioned how the plan would be implemented in practice given the lack of detail on international agreements.

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Criticised the Home Secretary's statement regarding asylum and immigration policy. Mentioned failures of the Conservative government over the past eleven years including inadequate Windrush compensation scheme, slow asylum processing system, and lack of progress on agreements with France.

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Welcomed the Home Secretary's statement regarding illegal migration and asylum seekers. Asked for reassurance on continued efforts to make European neighbours step up in addressing these issues.

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There is so much wrong with these proposals that distilling it into two minutes is impossible. What person and what Government with an ounce of compassion or respect for international law would even consider casting vulnerable people off to an island using an offshoring system that, in Australia’s case, has been described by the UN as an affront to “common decency”? Who, with any regard to the rule of law, would limit the right to appeal? The high success rate of asylum appeals clearly shows that the Home Office is getting these decisions wrong too often. Are we or are we not still a signatory to the UN refugee convention?

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I welcome particularly what my right hon. Friend is proposing to deal with people smuggling, but this is a bigger problem than simply the EU. Council of Europe members are dealing with this right across the Mediterranean and from the middle east. Will she join me in sharing her approach with members of the Council of Europe as an example of what can be done?

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Safe Passage reports increasingly long waits for child and teen refugees in camps in Greece and elsewhere to be able to reunite with family in the UK who could care for them since the Dublin and Dubs schemes were ended. Ministers promised us that they would put in place safe legal routes in replacement, but they have not done so, and things are not working.

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As my right hon. Friend is aware, many asylum seekers are being housed in hotels in central London, and many hundreds in my constituency. Will she assure me that today’s announcement will speed up the asylum process, that those who are successful will be resettled and those who are not will be quickly returned, and that we can get the numbers in hotels down to zero?

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Can the Home Secretary tell us when the first refugees will be allowed to enter the UK under her new scheme, and how many will be settled each year?

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This is a fantastic plan to fix our broken asylum system. The plan prioritises help to those most in need with safe and legal routes. It will stop the deaths in the channel and in lorries of people attempting illegal entry, and deter those who abuse the system and jump the queue, particularly with a new age assessment process.

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The 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 protocol state that anyone seeking asylum should be able to claim in their intended destination or another safe country, but the Government’s new plan discriminates by distinguishing between people fleeing the same persecution based on their route or on their mode of transport.

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My constituents and I welcome strong action in tackling illegal migration. People claiming asylum should do so in the first safe country they arrive in, which is safer than risking their lives crossing to the UK.

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This announcement is built on safe and legal routes, but the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme has ended. Could the Minister explain how many people a new UK resettlement scheme will take?

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Yarl’s Wood detention centre, set up under a Labour Government, is part of flawed immigration processes. Will reforms provide fairer assessment for women victims?

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With plans to deport more asylum seekers, will transparency be improved regarding existing returns and readmission agreements? Will the Government avoid sending people back where they risk torture?

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Supporting the new plan, why does the UK not use scientific age assessment like other European countries? Too many adults claim to be children for safeguarding reasons.

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Past failures like the abandonment of the Dubs child refugee scheme show lack of compassion. How can constituents trust this Government when asylum seekers face long waits for minimal support?

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Welcoming measures to ensure fairer systems, will penalties be increased for people smugglers involved in dangerous crossings?

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When safe passage is not secured, criminal gangs exploit those seeking asylum. What steps are being taken to ensure safer routes?

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Current system is a joke; arrivals know deportation chances are low. Is the Home Secretary prepared to be tough as Australia's PM Abbott did, securing safe locations and deporting?

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Inquires about the Home Secretary's efforts to strike agreements with countries outside Europe regarding returning legitimate asylum seekers, and asks how these agreements will impact trade negotiations.

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Supports protecting genuine refugees but also wants to stop people smugglers who abuse the system. Asks if the plan will help both.

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Expresses concern over the role of children in illegal immigration scenarios and asks about special circumstances for minors.

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Welcomes the plan and asks about introducing a high minimum sentence for people smugglers.

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Highlights poor accommodation conditions for asylum seekers and asks how the reforms will improve housing quality.

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Welcomes the proposals, especially distinguishing between smuggled individuals and genuine refugees. Asks about safe routes and a Dubs II scheme.

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Critiques the Government's approach as abandoning humanitarian obligations, potentially increasing reliance on people traffickers.

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Supports preventing illegal crossings and asks if migrants should claim asylum in France rather than risking channel crossings.

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Asks if awaiting asylum seekers are allowed to work and contribute economically.

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Supports tackling criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people and asks if this will reduce channel crossings.

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Asks about sensitivity in age assessments for asylum seekers, considering disabilities, trauma, and medical needs.

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The residents of Blackpool are sick and tired of the delaying tactics used by left-wing human rights lawyers to prevent the lawful removal of failed asylum seekers. Can my right hon. Friend reassure me that the measures outlined today will help to achieve that?