Peter Gibson: What I learned about immigration on my visit to the US
Author: Peter Gibson MP
The issue of small boats issue has topped the Government agenda this week and it is also a top issue in my postbag. It is right that the Government and Parliament decides who, when and how people come here – not criminal gangs.
This is a polarising issue, and our opponents maximise this, but they ignore the work the Government has done to provide safe routes for hundreds of thousands of Afghans, Syrians, Ukrainians and Hong Kongers.
My own caseload has highlighted the excessive delays in processing the claims of migrants, which I know the Home Secretary is pushing very hard to improve on.
There are both push and pull factors driving the numbers of displaced people around the world. If we get our handling of this issue right, we will be able to do more, within the limits of our capacity, to help those most in need – as we always have.
To understand the underlying problems, I recently visited Washington DC at the invitation of the Coalition for Global Prosperity, which brings together political, military, business and faith leaders who believe that Britain is, and can be, a force for good abroad.
The Three Ds – Defence, Development and Diplomacy – are key to our relationships around the world.
If we can help a country develop, grow its economy and become more stable, the reasons for their citizens to flee will reduce.
If our defence capabilities, either in peace keeping operations, security operations, or through bi-lateral alliances (as we have seen through support for Ukraine) can be used to help make the world that bit safer, so that economies can grow and people can enjoy stability, it will help tackle the global migrant challenges.
If our diplomatic relationships can help strengthen stability around the world, then again, the world is that bit safer which will enable economies to grow and so reduce the desire for people to flee.
These “ifs” are, in fact, what our country is already doing, and has been doing for decades. I saw this in many ways while participating recently in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, through which I saw our military academy at Sandhurst being used to train the leaders of armed forces from around the world, developing and deepening our soft power
I was struck in Washington by the huge value placed on our special relationship with the US, particularly over the last year with our leadership on support for Ukraine which has strengthened our bond with the US. While political leaders of our two countries might change, the underlying relationship between us is precious, and real.
This was borne out in the meetings I had with Dame Karen Pierce, the British Ambassador to the US, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, and the UK Delegation to the World Bank.
Some will ask how this trip to Washington is relevant to my role in Darlington, a question I asked myself before accepting the invitation. Understanding how your money is spent on defence, development and diplomacy is something that is relevant to every taxpayer in Darlington, but also knowing that around the globe UK PLC is doing good works to make the world a safer, more prosperous and more stable place is actually a very good way to help address those factors that are driving people from their own countries.
This article was first published in the Northern Echo.
