Dehumanising these individuals and presenting, as a threat, a small group of vulnerable people trying to reachour shores goes against the very ideals we should be aspiring to: empathy, humanity and help for those who need it.

I raised this in Parliament today during an Urgent Question to the government regarding the crossings in the Channel. This has become yet another toxic issue, pushed to the forefront in recent months by the right-wing media and this government as part of a much wider effort to stoke a dangerous culture war, and distract from the real issues affecting society.