I am proud that our country has a long history of supporting those in need of protection and in recent years we have welcomed people through safe and legal routes, including from Syria, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Since 2015, we have offered a safe and legal route to the UK to almost half a million men, women and children seeking safety, as well as family members of refugees. In fact, the UK is one of the largest recipients of UNHCR referred refugees globally, second only to Sweden in Europe since 2015.
Our UK Resettlement Scheme, including Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement schemes, allow us to support the most vulnerable refugees direct from regions of conflict and instability. Through these schemes, the UNHCR refers refugees they have assessed as in need of resettlement to the UK.
Our safe and legal routes are some of the most generous anywhere. Our kindness and hospitality is infinite but sadly our resources are not. We cannot accommodate everyone who wants to come to the UK, and we are not able to open a bespoke route for every situation.
It is our longstanding principle that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. For many people, it is in their best interests to stay close to the region or in a neighbouring country where there are often similarities in culture and language, where they may have family and where they can be supported by international organisations, including the UN.
If elected as the new MP for the East Grinstead & Uckfield constituency, I will continue to support constituents to raise the profile of their concerns with the new Government on this matter.
