Thread by @ZoeJardiniere

They're going to be banging on about Channel crossings in parliament all afternoon.

Brace for a bad time. Small comfort is that the government will have a bad time too. I'd imagine the opposition will largely hate it and come out pretty badly as well.

A bad time for all. Great.

Home Office orals followed by a UQ on Channel crossings brought by Labour's Shadow Home Sec. I may tweet along a bit if I can bare to. No guarantees. Anyway what could there possibly be that's new to say about this whole nasty mess?

Andrew Gwynne asks why decision making on asylum claims has become so much more slow? Just 20% made within 6 months, while in 2014 87% were made within 6 months.

Patel lies saying that there are solutions to speed up the system in her Anti-Refugee Bill. There are not.

Holly Lynch points out that the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner has said the Anti-Refugee Bill will remove protections from victims of slavery and make it harder to prosecute their perpetrators.

Amazingly, in response to a non-answer, Peter Bone, of all people, stands up to say that in order to tackle trafficking gangs we need to throw out measures in the Bill that reduce support for slavery & trafficking victims, making it harder to cooperate in prosecutions.

Rachel Maclean & Priti Patel both repeatedly lying about what the evidence from independent sources tell us the Bill will do, including for victims of slavery.

Interesting how they're both emphasising how "all members on this side of the house will support the Bill" etc

There's obviously growing discomfort with some of the Bill's measures and the lack of evidence to support its approach on Tory benches and they want to bully them and force their support.

Helen Hayes points out that the Afghan resettlement scheme to offer safe passage to Afghans fleeing the Taliban is STILL NOT OPERATIONAL 3 months on.

The Minister is like "Yeah soz lol" "We want to set the scheme up...."

Bambos Charalambos picking up on the same failure to offer a safe route to protection for Afghans. Compares it to the German scheme which has already been helping thousands to escape to Germany.

Again Victoria Atkins is well soz that it just can't be done. No timescale. Nothing.

This government and everyone who defends their Anti-Refugee Bill in the context of ZERO safe routes for people to escape Afghanistan really make me sick.

Tories repeating the lie that Offshore processing in Australia was a success. Perhaps @tomhunt1988 would like to take a look at the expert evaluation of that approach? freemovement.org.uk/offshore-proce….

Offshore processing in Australia

1. Did not stop the boats
2. Cost nearly $16 Billion Australian dollars
3. Resulted in a hugely traumatised population held indefinitely in horrendous camps, while the refugee protection debate raged on just the same in Oz.

The speaker is totally losing patience, cutting off both Patel and NTS in the middle of their sentences. I feel you bro.

The fourth time now that Victoria Atkins has had to say that she's honestly just sooo sorry to say that there is no timescale or plan in place to implement resettlement for people desperate to escape Afghanistan. Embarrassment.

Right after the FOURTH TIME that it is made clear that there are NO SAFE ROUTES OUT OF AFGHANISTAN Gareth Bacon and Tom Purseglove go straight in for condemning the opposition to their Bill that requires all refugees to make use of resettlement and not flee on their own...🧐🧐

Literally. Not a scrap of shame. Not a scrap.

"We know already that offshoring wont work, will cost a fortune, cost lives and will destroy any remaining credibility the UK has"

Thank God for Stuart.