Yesterday, Suella Braverman delivered her first speech announcing her plans as new Home Secretary during Conservative Party Conference.

Tim Naor Hilton, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said:

“It is now clear that this Home Secretary cares only for keeping people out, not keeping them safe.

Only three months after passing its Anti-Refugee Act, which Government officials said was necessary to fix the system, the Government’s credibility is shot to pieces by Braverman announcing more new laws.

Banning those crossing the Channel from claiming asylum is a blatant breach of the international refugee laws that the UK proudly helped create in the first place.

These plans wilfully ignore the fact that it is a lack of safe routes into the country that pushes people into the hands of smugglers.

Meanwhile, her attack on the Modern Slavery Act is both reprehensible and ill-informed. Only 7% of confirmed trafficking victims from overseas have been granted leave to remain in the last 5 years.

The government cannot continue to run roughshod over its international responsibilities and threaten refugees with deportation or jail simply for asking for help.”