CAMPAIGNERS urged ministers today to introduce stronger protections for parents seeking sanctuary with their children, as new legislation could see families criminalised for attempting to cross the English Channel.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, includes a clause introducing a new offence for endangering life during Channel crossings.

Those found guilty could face up to five years in prison.

The government says the law is intended to deter people-smugglers and prevent overcrowding in unsafe boats.

According to the Home Office, the offence would apply to acts involving aggression, intimidation or resistance to rescue.

The clause describes an offence where a person “did an act that caused, or created a risk of, the death of, or serious personal injury to, another person,” including physical or psychological harm.

It would apply to water journeys from countries including France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Freedom from Torture’s Sile Reynolds said: “If this Bill goes through, the government risks punishing parents rather than protecting families seeking sanctuary.

“We’re gravely concerned that the offences in the Bill are so broad they’ll catch everyone in the same drag net.

“What’s deeply disturbing is that the government itself has recognised this could result in the prosecution of parents who make the unbearably difficult decision to bring their children on these dangerous journeys to reach safety in the UK.”

While the government maintains it is “very unlikely” that parents would be prosecuted, the Bill’s accompanying documents acknowledge there is “no absolute bar” to doing so.

Any such decision would be left to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A refugee mother who fled torture at the hands of her family in Iraq with her children said the Bill will “never stop” people from coming if violence and conflict continues in their home countries.

Gulan, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We want to keep our children safe, but there aren’t enough safe ways to escape.

“Instead of making things harder, the government should create safe routes for families. It’s really sad that we aren’t getting full help to escape from danger.”

The mother-of-two escaped when her youngest child was five, after being locked up and tortured by her family, who said they would kill her for falling in love with a man from another religion.

She embarked on a nine-month “terrifying” journey where her destination was unknown until authorities took them in once they arrived in Dover.

Gulan described how they were sold by smugglers to other smugglers once they reached specific locations and were not allowed to ask questions or find out where they were going.

“It was terrifying and depressing, and I don’t want to remember it as it was another trauma layered on top of the violence we had experienced at home,” she added.

Eventually, she said in France the smuggler told them to sneak into the back of an overcrowded lorry heading for a goods boat.

She said since arriving in the UK her family have “integrated into the community and found happiness.”

Ahlam Souidi, who runs Freedom From Torture’s Women Together group for survivors, which includes Gulan, said of the women: “They identify as victims — not criminals — and they believe it is essential that they are supported in rebuilding their lives, not punished and victimised for a second time.

“They urge us to consider the reality of their situations — what would you do if you were in their shoes?

“These are the realities that must be acknowledged and addressed with urgency.”

A Home Office spokesman said the upcoming law will secure Britain’s borders by strengthening law enforcement’s ability to identify, disrupt and prevent organised immigration crime faster and more effectively.