Recommendation 2

All but one piece of evidence we received opposed the Illegal Migration Bill. There was disagreement about whether the Bill would achieve its stated aims of deterring illegal entry, breaking the business model of people smugglers and saving lives. The majority of those who provided evidence believed the Bill would fail to achieve its aims. Instead, they said it could lead to people attempting to come to the UK through more dangerous routes, which could both benefit people smugglers (who could charge more for their services) and lead to more people tragically losing their lives on those routes. Others highlighted that the Bill could dissuade people from applying for asylum when they arrive in the UK, meaning they would be undocumented and at greater risk of exploitation.