Listening to you on immigration

Every week, my office receives a steady stream of emails from residents about immigration, and I understand why. Night after night, the news shows small boats crossing the Channel, and we hear about hotels, backlogs and a system under strain. It is no surprise that so many people are worried. I want to thank everyone who has written to me. I read your messages, and I want you to know I am listening.

Some of you are angry about the boats crossing the Channel. Some of you are worried about pressure on local services. Others have written about refugees fleeing war and persecution, and about friends and neighbours who came here legally, work hard, and no longer feel welcome. Many of you have told me you simply feel nobody in charge is sorting it out.

What almost all of you share is a sense that the system is not working. On that, I agree.

Too many people are stuck waiting months or even years for a decision on their asylum claim. In that time, many are not allowed to work, so they rely on support paid for by taxpayers. Those with a genuine claim are left in limbo. Those with no right to be here are rarely removed. Nobody wins from that, least of all the people who play by the rules.

Meanwhile, criminal gangs are profiting from dangerous Channel crossings, and people are still losing their lives at sea.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a plan to restore safety, order and fairness to our asylum system. That means:

• joining the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact, so that people arriving by small boat can be returned to the first EU country they entered;

• clearing the backlog quickly, so claims are decided fairly and promptly;

• giving people waiting on a decision the right to work, so they can support themselves rather than relying on the taxpayer;

• keeping safe and legal routes open for those in genuine need, which are the best way to put the smuggling gangs out of business.

  
  

It is about having a system that is both fair and firm, and that people can trust.

I also want to say something about tone. Immigration matters deeply to people, and it is right that we talk about it openly. But we should never lose sight of the fact that we are talking about human beings. I will always stand up to anyone who tries to use this issue to divide our communities or target people because of who they are.

If you have written to me, thank you. I will keep pushing for a system that works.