Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Nationality and Borders Bill: Compatibility with International Law

Thursday 6 January 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK prides itself on discharging its international obligations in good faith
  • The Nationality and Borders Bill aims to stop illegal migration and fix the asylum system
  • The Government supports efforts to end people trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gavin Newlands SNP
Immigration Standards & Ethics
Context

The Nationality and Borders Bill is under scrutiny for its compatibility with international law.

Question

What recent discussions has the Attorney General had with Cabinet colleagues on the compatibility of the Nationality and Borders Bill with international law?

Answer from Suella Braverman

The UK prides itself on discharging its international obligations in good faith. The Nationality and Borders Bill enables the Government to stop illegal and dangerous trafficking of migrants, aligning with tangible action against illegal migration and fixing our broken asylum system.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific discussions with Cabinet colleagues were not detailed

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Q2 Gavin Newlands SNP
Immigration Asylum & Refugees
Context

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has recently corrected the Home Secretary's claim that British citizenship is a privilege, not a right.

Question

Does the Attorney General agree with the UN Secretary-General that having nationality is a human right protected by international treaties?

Answer from Suella Braverman

We need to take action against illegal migrants crossing the Channel and fix our broken asylum system. The Nationality and Borders Bill addresses these issues, evaluating safe and legal options for stopping small boats.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific agreement with UN Secretary-General was not confirmed

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Q3 Peter Bone Con
Immigration Migrants & Borders
Context

The bill is being scrutinised for its potential to combat human trafficking.

Question

Does the Minister agree that the Nationality and Borders Bill helps protect the fight against human trafficking?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I support this Government's attempts to end people trafficking, as it is immoral for criminal traffickers to exploit vulnerable individuals and put their lives at risk. The Government aims to disrupt the illegal business model of traffickers.

Answered
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Q4 Alison Thewliss SNP
Asylum & Refugees
Context

The book “The Lightless Sky” describes the journey of a child refugee from Afghanistan to the UK, raising questions about safe and legal routes for asylum seekers.

Question

Does the Minister accept that human traffickers exist because of the absence of safe and legal routes for those fleeing their lives?

Answer from Suella Braverman

People with legitimate claims for asylum have safe and legal routes through which they can pursue these claims. Getting on illegally manned vessels is dangerous, immoral, and unlawful.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The existence of traffickers due to the absence of safe routes was not directly confirmed or denied

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