Clause 14 - Establishment of centres
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill
12:30 pm
Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey, Liberal Democrat)
The hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle provided helpful clarification. My experience is that most traffickers dump asylum seekers on the other side of the channel and leave them to make the last stretch of the journey on their own—having taken $10,000 from them, as I was told at Sangatte. People in this country have recourse to criminality, but that is no more the case with asylum seekers than with others. People involved in sex trafficking or trafficking of workers for sexual exploitation are not necessarily asylum seekers; some may come here legitimately. I do not mean to misunderstand the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle and I hope he does not misunderstand me. I want to place on the record that there is no evidence to suggest that asylum seekers are more likely to be criminals or commit more offences than any other group. The Minister is right to say that age and other relevant profiles are more common factors.
I shall read Hansard and reflect on the Minister's comments as to whether other legislation covers the points raised by amendments Nos. 170 and 181. I am a veteran of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, which was a great advance and covered many issues. I shall look at it in detail.
I shall also reflect on the response to the hon. Member for Woking on amendment No. 141 and to our amendment No. 182 on contracts. I expected the Minister to say that the matter was confidential and that the Government would not reveal the information. I am not sure that we are satisfied with her response, but I shall not pursue the matter now.
We are in a new age of new Labour. Everything is up for grabs. It is not clear what, if anything, new Labour believes should remain in the public sector. It is having an internal debate, as are we, not least this very day. However, we take as a presumption that some matters should remain in the public sector; and this is one of them. I have a moral and ethical concern about and objection to the idea that people should profit from housing and managing asylum seekers. It raises an ethical question. I am uncomfortable about profit-making from other jobs in society. It is true to say that I am on the left wing of my party.