A WOMAN on Question Time left the audience shocked as she claimed “I don’t believe in any asylum”.
Broadcast from Lincoln, a large section of Thursday night’s BBC programme focused on borders and migration.
We reported how one audience member told Nigel Farage he was speaking “absolute nonsense” as they clashed on the issue.
Host Fiona Bruce was taking questions from the audience, with one woman saying it “probably is only Reform” who can control immigration.
She said: “It’s the amount that are coming over on these boats. They’re young men, they’re not working.
“Let’s go forward five, 10 years. Where will they be then? Still in this country, not working. And we, and I’m a pensioner, we are paying for these people day in and day out.
“Where are they going in five, 10, 20 years’ time?”
Bruce then interjected to ask if there were “any grounds” on which the woman believed people should come to the UK.
“The only grounds that I think people should be allowed to come into the country is if they have the sufficient qualifications to do the jobs that we probably need,” she replied.
The host once again asked for the woman’s views on the people who are seeking asylum.
She said: “I don’t believe in any asylum. I really don’t. I think we are taking more than our fair share in this country.
“I feel very sorry for the little towns, little villages that these people have been put where people have lived all their lives.”
Also appearing on the programme was former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell.
He asked the woman if she felt sorry for people “fleeing war” and she said: “I think there’s far too much made of this. That they’re fleeing wars.”
One audience member could be heard loudly laughing at the suggestion before the woman continued: “Is there a war in Algeria? Is there a war in Morocco? Is there a war… where are they coming from? Syria.”
This woman’s reaction is all of us #questiontime #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/CtRh34ZGH7
— Ryan Martin (@_RianMartin_) December 5, 2024
Campbell told the woman the UK was fifth in Europe in terms of asylum seekers.
A number of people took to Twitter/X to share their reactions to the comments with new University of Aberdeen rector Iona Fyfe saying: “‘I don’t believe in asylum. We’ve taken more than our fair share’.
“Why is the BBC just platforming blatant racism?”
Another user shared the video of the woman speaking which highlighted one woman who was visibly shocked.
The caption said: “This woman’s reaction is all of us.”
The National has approached the BBC for comment.
