One of the most morally questionable things we can do in any context is to punish people who are already victims. It cannot be said too often that the overwhelming majority of those who seek asylum in the UK do so because of threats serious enough to force them into taking appalling risks.
The Nationality and Borders Bill effectively proposes that we come down hardest on those most helpless, those who resort to ‘irregular’ routes to reach the UK — oblivious to the fact that these people are likely to be among the most desperate: those who risk drowning at sea or freezing in temporary camps on borders.
That desperation has everything to do with the lack of safe and accessible routes for refugees. The
