Speaking about the Illegal Migration Bill having its Second Reading in Parliament today, Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, said:
“The Illegal Migration Bill amounts to a refugee ban and attacks the rights of people most at risk of serious harm and persecution across the world.
“Beyond the rhetoric, spin and fake news, the fundamental point is that most of the people in small boats are men, women and children escaping terror and bloodshed.
“The UK should be providing protection to people in need, not seeking to score political points regardless of the consequences for us all.
“The Government should prioritise saving lives not salvaging their failing political record.
“Anti-migrant scaremongering does not benefit the majority of people. It does nothing to address the cost-of-living crisis.
On the other hand, the cynical and dangerous use of scapegoating to divide people by an unpopular Government which has overseen a horrifying death toll during the pandemic and continues to inflict hardship and suffering across the UK, does damage our communities.
We have already seen an alarming rise in violence and intimidation organised by the far right against refugees and refugee accommodation.
As the daughter of migrants who faced violence and persecution, I am all too conscious of the consequences of pandering to racists.
“Whether it is the Bangladeshi community leading an anti-fascist fightback in the wake of the murder of Altab Ali in 1978 or the Battle of Cable Street in 1936 where the local Jewish community stood up to Oswald Moseley, in East London we will never let our communities be divided and targeted.
“Instead, we call for an approach that priorities people’s lives and dignity.
“We call for safe and legal routes to the UK. “