Today (7 December) in the House of Commons MPs will debate and vote on the remaining stages of the Nationalities and Borders Bill. Ahead of the vote,

The UK and Sheffield in particular have a proud history of giving sanctuary to people fleeing from the most awful violence and persecution. Sheffield is a welcoming and open city and the UK’s first City of Sanctuary. This Government has destroyed our proud record as a decent, compassionate country and has helped create the conditions in which people are, tragically, losing their lives attempting to cross the Channel.    

This Bill, in its current form is a sham and won’t solve the problem of dangerous boat crossings that are putting people’s lives at risk. The Bill proposes unworkable solutions that will cost taxpayers and undermines international humanitarian conventions. That’s why I will be voting against it today.  

Recent events have highlighted how lack of safe and legal routes leads to more people risking their lives by making dangerous journeys.   

This Bill and the government’s continued, failed approaches, makes us complicit with the evil people traffickers who are exploiting people in desperate situations.  The only answer is to provide safe, legal routes to help those who are claiming asylum in this country do so.