House of Lords Second Reading Briefing for NBB

January 14, 2022

The deaths of 27 people in the channel on the 24th of November 2021 was a stark reminder of
the desperate situation people looking for safety find themselves in. No one chooses to cross
the channel, the busiest shipping lane in the world, unless they have no other option. They have
fled their home countries fleeing war, violence, persecution, and have undertaken unimaginable
journeys to find safety in the UK.

The proposals outlined in the Nationality and Borders Bill do not increase routes that would give
people an alternative to putting their lives at risk to reach safety, and do not make it easier for
separated families to reunite in the UK. Instead, they restrict access to refugee family reunion
and will criminalize and punish those who come to the UK via irregular routes. The proposals
will put men, women and children at further risk, at further harm.