Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]

I shall be brief because nearly everything has been said. Having listened to the arguments that have been made about the near, if not total, illegality of what is proposed, I agree that it must make sense for the Minister and the Government to reconsider this issue. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Clinton-Davis: why on earth should it be on the back of the individual to prove that they were not in breach of any of the immigration laws? That is an absurd requirement and must be seen as such. The point has been made again and again about the awful plight of refugees and the way in which they have been persecuted over long periods of time. I hope that the Government will look at the whole issue and find a way that will extend flexibility.