Chris Mason: The challenge of closing asylum loopholes while protecting genuine cases

Chris Mason: The challenge of closing asylum loopholes while protecting genuine cases6 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleChris MasonPolitical editorGetty ImagesAt the heart of the arguments that rage around immigration and asylum are two of the most potent ideas in politics: fairness and control.A perceived absence of either, let alone both, is potentially toxic and particularly so around issues as salient and often divisive as how many people, and who, should be invited to live here and remain here - and on what basis.A tracker poll by YouGov suggests that immigration and asylum have been seen by many over the last 15 years as among the most important issues facing the country, alongside the economy and the health service.Think about that: in that time we have had the Brexit referendum and the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour in government at Westminster.In other words, while plenty, outwardly, has changed, there has been a stickiness to the electorate's concern about these issues and, it seems reasonable to deduce, a persistent sense of governments, plural, failing to grip them.That is why this BBC investigation is so significant. We are used to seeing one very visible element of many asylum claims – those arriving across the English Channel on small boats.What this expose casts a light upon is a much less visible element. You can read the first part of Billy Kenber and Phil Kemp's reporting here.And you can read the second part here.Folk in government tell me they were aware of this cheating and point to a change in the law coming next week that, they claim, will make it easier to withdraw support and accommodation from claimants who can be proved to be fraudulent and after that they would face deportation.Ministers are also not ruling out closing down visa routes where it is clear a disproportionate number later go on to claim asylum fraudulently. Let's see.In response to the BBC's investigation, Reform UK have said tha...