Clause 58 - Trafficking into the UK for
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Mr Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow, Labour)
I understand the point that the hon. Gentleman is making. I believe that he is talking about the effects on the person who is brought into the country, because that surely is the distinction. In many cases of asylum or illegal immigration, it would actually be better to use the term smuggling, because the person who is being brought in knows full well what is happening. In a sense, it is a commercial transaction: the person who is brought into the country pays their money and that is the end of the business. One may not want to make so great a distinction as to the gravity of the offence as far as the trafficker is concerned, but there certainly is a distinction to be made about the person who is brought into the country.