Why don't the Tories want to help genuine asylum seekers?

It’s not the genuine asylum seekers that Suella Braverman and her crew are determined to prevent reaching our shores, we are often told. It’s the illegals. With our traditional British values of tolerance and fair play, we are one of the most welcoming nations on earth to those in real need. The issue is, we hear again and again, with those who show contempt for the rule of law and turn up in this country without permission.

That all sounds, on the face of it, a perfectly reasonable position: kindness to genuine refugees in a humanitarian crisis; stern measures for criminals and opportunists. And how do we separate the two? Why, the ones who apply through legal routes will have their applications given due consideration; whereas the people who just turn up on boats will have their applications summarily rejected. Again, all tickety-boo – as long as these vaunted legal routes actually exist.