Just because the government used the word illegal doesn’t mean they actually are committing a crime. There’s no law that says that you are not allowed to come to the UK to seek asylum. Such a law would violate the international law of human rights, so I’m sure the Conservatives are all for it.

They are perfectly allowed to seek asylum in any country they wish, they are not required to seek it in France. Now if they were trying to enter the country illegally that would be different, but they’re not, they’re actually seeking asylum so they go to the authorities and declare themselves.