No civilised country should tolerate the danger of drowning as a feature of its asylum policy

Editorial: The government ought to welcome any proposals that have a chance of reducing the number of people making the dangerous crossing

People living in tents near Dunkirk are hoping to cross the Channel (EPA)

Thank goodness there is still a part of the parliamentary Conservative Party that understands the values of compassion, decency and liberalism. Pauline Latham, the MP for Mid Derbyshire, has written for The Independent to propose a sensible way out of the crisis in our asylum system, which is currently encouraging desperate refugees to play a form of marine Russian roulette in the Channel.

She suggests that asylum seekers should be allowed to make their claims at UK embassies anywhere in the world. She points out that most of the people who cross from France in small boats are accepted as genuine refugees, but that they have no way of applying here except by making their way to the UK by unauthorised means.

She is supported by David Davis and Andrew Mitchell, former cabinet ministers, which suggests that it may be possible – if the opposition can draft the right amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill – for the government’s parliamentary majority to be tested. The bill is to be debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday and Wednesday.