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