Phil here. I have written to my MP to raise my concerns about the Illegal Immigration Bill now going through Parliament. The text of my letter is below.

I would encourage anyone who feels as strongly as I do to also write to their MP.

If you don’t know who your MP is, you can find out here

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/

Remember to include your full address.

”

I wish to express my worries about the Illegal Immigration bill. I do not believe it will be effective, I believe it will be very damaging to vulnerable people and it will, I fear, damage Britain’s global standing.
I do not think it will work because evidence repeatedly shows that those seeking to come to the UK have very little idea what will await them here. Consequently ‘hostile’ deterrents continually fail to deter. We do not have the capacity for mass detention or the international agreements for mass removal. Thousands will be left in a legal limbo with no housing or support. This is a recipe for chaos.
I think it will harm vulnerable people because it will close down routes to safety for almost everyone, including children and victims of torture.
The act as written amounts, in effect, to Britain pulling out of the 1951 refugee convention and the European Charter of Human Rights ( nothing to do with the EU…). This has been confirmed by the opinion of UNHCR and by the inability of the Home Secretary to obtain a certificate of conformity with the ECHR.
Please consider these concerns when voting on the act orPencil on any amendments.”