Mr. Nick Henderson:

This pact is extremely complex. Some regulations may have effect as soon next year, I think the qualifications directive will because it was agreed last year, but most of the regulations will not have effect until two years from when approval comes in May. There is a lot of expectation, we would suggest too much expectation, that this pact will solve the serious challenges that exist today. Instead, as Mr. Leonard says, another approach would be to invest and resource the existing structures and ensure our existing asylum legislation, nationally and at a European Union level, is implemented. Where members do not implement the law, there are sanctions. The European Commission has been extremely reluctant to uphold complaints against member states for breaches of European Union asylum law.

On the secondary movement point, there is much debate about and media attention on the United Kingdom at the moment. It cannot be overstated how dysfunctional the UK system is at present. I refer to its Illegal Migration Act and the limits that puts on the ability of somebody to seek asylum in that country.