Michele Donelan clashed with Kay Burley this morning over the UK’s approach to migrants. The Sky News presenter asked the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology about the Government’s new small boats legislation, which will bar people who enter the UK illegally from claiming asylum. Pressing Ms Donelan on the issue, Ms Burley said: “It’s not illegal though, is it, to seek asylum? It’s illegal to smuggle people into the UK. Shouldn’t the smugglers be the ones that you’re going for?”
Ms Donelan said the Government is introducing “proportionate” responses, saying: “Of course, we want to tackle criminal gangs.”
But she added: “We do have to say it is not okay to travel here illegally. If they’re travelling illegally, they shouldn’t be allowed to stay.”
Pushing back at Ms Burley’s line of questioning, Ms Donelan continued: “We cannot take everybody – as much as we would love to. We just cannot. And we have to have a system that works and that’s why we’re bringing forward this legislation is why the Prime Minister has acted.”
But Ms Burley hit back: “But again, minister, it’s not illegal to seek asylum. It’s illegal to smuggle people.”
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology told Sky: “I don’t think it’s right for people to travel across many safe countries to get here and then choose to try and seek asylum via illegal routes, that simply cannot be acceptable.”
The new legislation, set to be published as soon as Tuesday, would make asylum claims inadmissible from those who travel to the UK on small boats.
Yesterday the Prime Minister vowed to end to “immoral” illegal migration, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman saying: “enough is enough”.
