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What should happen? The answer should be simple. **Look at why it failed.** Perhaps the policy was badly designed. Perhaps it was not properly funded. Perhaps another country did not cooperate. Perhaps smugglers found a way around it. Perhaps the problem was underestimated. Whatever the reason, the policy should be changed. Government should not become emotionally attached to its own policies. ## Try something different This sounds obvious, but governments sometimes find it difficult. Once millions have been spent on a policy, there can be pressure to defend it. Officials may say it needs more time. Politicians may say the previous government caused the problem. Opposition parties may blame the government. And meanwhile, the boats keep coming. That is not good enough. If a policy is failing, say so. Then try something different. ## The importance of pilots Not every new idea needs to be introduced across the entire country immediately. Where appropriate, the Government could test new approaches on a smaller scale. Measure the result. Compare it with the existing system. Then decide whether it should be expanded. This is how many other areas of government policy are evaluated. Immigration should not be exempt from evidence. ## Be prepared to change the law There may also be situations where the Government concludes that existing legislation is preventing it from achieving a policy objective. If that happens, Parliament can debate whether the law should be changed. But there is an important principle. Changing a law should not mean pretending the old law never existed. The Government should explain exactly what it wants to change and why. Parliament should debate it. Courts should interpret the new law. And the public should understand what has changed. That is democracy. ## What about international agreements? The same principle applies to international agreements. If Britain believes an international agreement is preventing it from controlling immigration effectively, the Government should explain which part is causing the problem. Then it should consider whether the agreement can be renegotiated. If it cannot, Parliament may need to decide whether Britain should remain bound by it. Those are serious decisions. They should not be reduced to slogans. There can be consequences for Britain's international relationships, trade, diplomacy and reputation. The public deserves to know those consequences before a decision is made. ## There is always a trade-off Every immigration policy has consequences. A policy may reduce irregular migration but cost more money. Another may save money but take longer. A third may increase enforcement but create diplomatic problems. A fourth may speed up decisions but require much greater investment. There is no perfect policy. The job of government is to decide which trade-offs are acceptable. And then be honest about them. ## What Britain should never do There are also lines that should never be crossed. Britain should not abandon the rule of law. It should not encourage violence. It should not allow people to be attacked because of their religion, nationality or appearance. It should not treat every person arriving irregularly as though they have committed the same offence. And it should not deliberately spread false information simply because the truth is politically inconvenient. A strong border policy does not require any of those things. ## The strongest system is a credible system Ultimately, the best immigration system may not be the one with the harshest words. It may be the one people believe will actually work. If smugglers believe their organisations will be dismantled, that matters. If people considering the journey believe that their claim will be decided quickly and that there is no guarantee of staying,