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Factsheet for phone calls
Key Talking Points
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I’m deeply concerned about the government’s new ‘Illegal Migration’ Bill, and am calling to ask you to oppose it in Parliament.
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Safe routes to the UK are few and far between. Home Office data shows that:
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Last year, we resettled only 22 Afghans fleeing safety, whilst 8,633 were forced to cross the channel.
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Over two-thirds of those who cross the channel are granted asylum.
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Instead of making safe routes available to all those who need them, the Government plans to strip people forced to cross the channel of their right to seek asylum.
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A threat to the human rights of one group is a threat to us all - it sets a dangerous precedent.
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This bill gives the Home Secretary worrying powers to detain asylum seekers indefinitely and limit their possibility of appeal.
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Added to this, the Prime Minister’s announcements on Friday that he will invest half a billion pounds of taxpayer money to fund a new detention centre in northern France is both inhumane, and an insult to the British people.
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It does not reflect our values of compassion and justice.
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It will not ‘solve’ the ‘problem’ it purports to - deterrence policies have been shown not to work, and this policy has already been slammed for being unworkable.
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It is an abhorrent waste of money in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
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As my MP, will you stand against this Bill when it comes before Parliament tomorrow?
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Will you ask the Government to invest our money into opening safe routes and fixing the asylum system, rather than wasting it in the pursuit of inhumane plans?
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Additional Statistics
The Government has described those crossing the channel as an ‘invasion’.
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This is not only dangerous language, but factually incorrect:
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Last year, 45,755 people crossed the channel. This is 0.067% of the population of the UK.
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The Government repeatedly describes people as ‘bogus asylum seekers’.
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This is also factually incorrect:
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Two thirds of those who cross the channel will have their asylum claim granted.
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Nearly half of those who cross the channel came from just five countries - Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Eritrea and Sudan. Three of these nationalities have asylum grant rates of 98%. The other two are 84% and 80%.
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Safe routes are possible.
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Last year, over 220,000 Ukrainian refugees were granted protection in the UK under Home Office visa schemes.
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What is stopping the Government from doing the same for those fleeing war, conflict and persecution in other countries?