UK Borders Bill

My Lords, I have listened to my noble friend’s reply. I am sorry that on my penultimate intervention on this Bill we are going to part company with a profound difference. I cannot fault my noble friend on his candour. He said in the course of his remarks, unless I misunderstood him, that the primary purpose of the Bill was to protect the public. That is the kernel of the matter. I take second place to no one in my feeling of responsibility for supporting the Government in protecting the public, but we also have a supreme commitment to the well-being of children and to each individual child. If we are concerned with children we are concerned with their rehabilitation, whoever they are, wherever they come from. As I said earlier, in the highly volatile, disturbing time in which we live, the last thing we want is unnecessarily frustrated young people. We want young people who have some chance of becoming positive citizens in the international community, not only in our own. Again, it is in the detail that things can accumulate and build up into grave problems. I have heard what my noble friend has said. It disappoints me. At this stage I shall withdraw the amendment, knowing that I will not be the only one who is disappointed and who reads the Minister’s comments with some concern. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.