BBC Question Time host Fiona Bruce and Labour minister Jacqui Smith in heated clash over migrant crackdown

BBC Question Time host Fiona Bruce and Labour minister in heated clash over migrant crackdownBBC, Question Time

Transcript

00:00How will this reduce the numbers of people wanting to come in?

00:04Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, people who come illegally

00:08and successfully claim asylum can still apply and achieve,

00:13in the right circumstances, indefinite leave to remain,

00:16which means they get access to universal credit, the NHS, education, all the rest of it.

00:21What they won't get now is a passport and the ability to stand for public office.

00:26And you think that's the thing that's going to make the difference?

00:29I don't think that's the only thing that's going to make the difference.

00:32But how do you think this is going to make a difference?

00:34Which was why I was talking about the things... I will come to it in a moment.

00:37Well, that's not the question. So let's talk about that specifically now.

00:40No, you said to me what would make a difference, and I was telling you why.

00:43The question is, will denying citizenship to anyone that enters the UK illegally

00:46reduce the number of people trying to get in?

00:48There is already guidance about the constraints,

00:53the situation in terms of granting citizenship.

00:56What happened with the guidance this week is, yes, the government did toughen it up.

01:01They did say that there would no longer be a 10-year default position

01:06where you would be eligible to get your citizenship,

01:09and that if you had come illegally, particularly exploited onto a small boat

01:15and with your life put at risk, an important signal would be

01:20that that would be a criteria which would make it less likely that you would get citizenship.