Chris Philp

It remains our intention to use Crowborough Training Camp to accommodateasylum seekers, subject to the outcome of feasibility assessments. We areconfident that the level of due diligence carried out on alternativeaccommodation sites has improved, and we ensure that the relevantapprovals and assessments take place at the appropriate stage.The Home Office has been engaging with statutory partners for Crowborough,including Health, Police and Fire Rescue, on this proposal and will work withlocal authority and cross-government media teams to ensure ongoingcoordination and alignment to deliver consistent messaging and rapidresponse to emerging issues. Multi- Agency Forums chaired by Home Officewith key delivery partners will take place at least fortnightly pre-delivery, aswell as post go-live and we are working closely with key stakeholdersincluding local health partners to minimise the impact on the local community.Regarding Community and Equality Impact Assessments, assessments willbe carried out as part of the standard process for alternative sites and will bepublished as appropriate

It remains our intention to use Crowborough Training Camp to accommodateasylum seekers, subject to the outcome of feasibility assessments. We areconfident that the level of due diligence carried out on alternativeaccommodation sites has improved, and we ensure that the relevantapprovals and assessments take place at the appropriate stage.The Home Office has been engaging with statutory partners for Crowborough,including Health, Police and Fire Rescue, on this proposal and will work withlocal authority and cross-government media teams to ensure ongoingcoordination and alignment to deliver consistent messaging and rapidresponse to emerging issues. Multi- Agency Forums chaired by Home Officewith key delivery partners will take place at least fortnightly pre-delivery, aswell as post go-live and we are working closely with key stakeholdersincluding local health partners to minimise the impact on the local community.Regarding Community and Equality Impact Assessments, assessments willbe carried out as part of the standard process for alternative sites and will bepublished as appropriate

It remains our intention to use Crowborough Training Camp to accommodateasylum seekers, subject to the outcome of feasibility assessments. We areconfident that the level of due diligence carried out on alternativeaccommodation sites has improved, and we ensure that the relevantapprovals and assessments take place at the appropriate stage.The Home Office has been engaging with statutory partners for Crowborough,including Health, Police and Fire Rescue, on this proposal and will work withlocal authority and cross-government media teams to ensure ongoingcoordination and alignment to deliver consistent messaging and rapidresponse to emerging issues. Multi- Agency Forums chaired by Home Officewith key delivery partners will take place at least fortnightly pre-delivery, aswell as post go-live and we are working closely with key stakeholdersincluding local health partners to minimise the impact on the local community.Regarding Community and Equality Impact Assessments, assessments willbe carried out as part of the standard process for alternative sites and will bepublished as appropriate

We have launched the Border Security Command (BSC) whose work is imperative not only to stop criminals from entering the UK via small boats in the first place but to stop anyone from making these dangerous journeys. This is why the BSC is working with partners internationally to tackle and disrupt organised immigration crime gangs.

All individuals arriving in the UK via small boats undergo a comprehensive screening process. This is designed to gather key information about each person, including any indicators of criminality.

As part of this process, the Home Office collects biometric data—such as facial images and fingerprints—to verify identity. These biometrics are checked against Home Office systems and other law enforcement databases, including Interpol’s wanted list. This enables us to identify individuals, assess whether they pose a risk to public safety, and determine any breaches of immigration law. These checks are essential to maintaining a secure, fair, and effective immigration system.

In line with the Refugee Convention, refugee status will be denied to those who have committed serious crimes, pose a danger to the community, or present a threat to national security.

For further details on security checks during the asylum screening process, please refer to: Screening and routing

This process also ensures that individuals who should not be granted bail are identified promptly.

I am unable to comment specifically on discussions with the Security Service given that, for reasons for national security, it has been a long-standing position that the Government does not comment on intelligence matters.

Chairs of national inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2005, are appointed directly by Ministers. Under section 3 of the Act, the Minister who sets up the inquiry has the power to appoint the Chair and any other panel members.

As has long been common practice for inquiries, such appointments constitute direct ministerial appointments and do not follow a standard open public recruitment process which seeks applications.

Chairs of national inquiries established under the Inquiries Act 2005, are appointed directly by Ministers. Under section 3 of the Act, the Minister who sets up the inquiry has the power to appoint the Chair and any other panel members.

As has long been common practice for inquiries, such appointments constitute direct ministerial appointments and do not follow a standard open public recruitment process which seeks applications.

In June this year, Baroness Casey published her independent audit into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, and the Government accepted every recommendation it made, including establishing a new national inquiry. The national inquiry, equipped with statutory powers under the Inquiries Act 2005, will direct targeted local reviews in specific areas.

The former Home Secretary made a specific commitment to support Oldham Council in undertaking their own local inquiry. The Department has been discussing the right approach for Oldham’s inquiry with Oldham Council, given the Government’s commitment to a new national inquiry. We also intend to consult the prospective chair of the national inquiry once appointed and will confirm the proposed approach for Oldham alongside further details about the national inquiry in due course.

We have launched the Border Security Command (BSC) whose work is imperative not only to stop criminals from entering the UK via small boats in the first place but to stop anyone from making these dangerous journeys. This is why the BSC is working with partners internationally to tackle and disrupt organised immigration crime gangs.

All individuals arriving in the UK via small boats undergo a comprehensive screening process. This is designed to gather key information about each person, including any indicators of criminality.

As part of this process, the Home Office collects biometric data—such as facial images and fingerprints—to verify identity. These biometrics are checked against Home Office systems and other law enforcement databases, including Interpol’s wanted list. This enables us to identify individuals, assess whether they pose a risk to public safety, and determine any breaches of immigration law. These checks are essential to maintaining a secure, fair, and effective immigration system.

In line with the Refugee Convention, refugee status will be denied to those who have committed serious crimes, pose a danger to the community, or present a threat to national security.

For further details on security checks during the asylum screening process, please refer to: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a0e95e49b9c0597fdb03dd/Screening+and+routing.pdf

This process also ensures that individuals who should not be granted bail are identified promptly.

We have launched the Border Security Command (BSC) whose work is imperative not only to stop criminals from entering the UK via small boats in the first place but to stop anyone from making these dangerous journeys. This is why the BSC is working with partners internationally to tackle and disrupt organised immigration crime gangs.

All individuals arriving in the UK via small boats undergo a comprehensive screening process. This is designed to gather key information about each person, including any indicators of criminality.

As part of this process, the Home Office collects biometric data—such as facial images and fingerprints—to verify identity. These biometrics are checked against Home Office systems and other law enforcement databases, including Interpol’s wanted list. This enables us to identify individuals, assess whether they pose a risk to public safety, and determine any breaches of immigration law. These checks are essential to maintaining a secure, fair, and effective immigration system.

In line with the Refugee Convention, refugee status will be denied to those who have committed serious crimes, pose a danger to the community, or present a threat to national security.

For further details on security checks during the asylum screening process, please refer to: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a0e95e49b9c0597fdb03dd/Screening+and+routing.pdf

This process also ensures that individuals who should not be granted bail are identified promptly.

We can confirm that over 1,200 cases have been identified for review in the first phase of the review of cases that ended with ‘No Further Action’ that was announced by the previous Home Secretary in January 2025. This is now a component part of Operation Beaconport. The Operation has advised that work has already begun on reviewing the 216 most serious cases. We do not hold the detailed data on the breakdown of cases under review by force or local authority area.

The Restoring Control of the Immigration System White Paper published 12 May 2025 set out reforms to legal migration, so that we can restore order, control and fairness to the system, bring down net migration and promote economic growth.

On 1 July 2025 we laid Immigration Rules changes that delivered the first of the package of reforms set out in the White Paper:

• raising the skilled worker visa threshold back to degree level – when it comes to immigration;
• introducing a time-limited, interim Temporary Shortage List - providing time-limited access to the immigration system where it’s proven that it’s needed;
• closing the social care worker visa route to overseas recruitment – putting further protections in place for individuals exploited by the route.

Further Immigration Rules changes were laid on 14 October 2025 to deliver tighter control, while continuing to attract top global talent. Details of which can be found here: Statement of Changes to Immigration Rules and Explanatory memorandum to the statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1333, 14 October 2025 (accessible) - GOV.UK

Further measures will be announced in due course.

In order to respond to your request, a manual data extraction would be required. Under section 12(1) of the FOIA, the Home Office is not obliged to comply with an information request where to do so would exceed the appropriate limit. We estimate that the cost of locating and collating any relevant information and extracting the information to meet your request would exceed the appropriate limit of £600 specified in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. We are therefore unable to comply with it. The £600 limit is based on work being carried out at a rate of £25 per hour, which equates to 24 hours of work per request. The cost of locating, retrieving and extracting information can be included in the costs for these purposes. In this case, the time taken to identify and review the information held in relation to the question would exceed the cost limit.

Where section 12 is engaged in relation to part of a request it is applied to the whole request. This is in line with good practice recommended by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Please note that even if a revised request were to fall within the cost limit, it is possible that further relevant exemptions in the Act might still apply.

The Home Office has a legal obligation to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, whilst their claims are being processed.

This Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand.

Our accommodation strategy is to support exit from hotels and deliver a more sustainable model for asylum seekers, local partners, local authorities, and communities as a whole. We are working closely with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to deliver this, with a focus on community cohesion.

Accommodation providers are responsible for sourcing and securing suitable properties. They work closely with local authorities to ensure that local knowledge, intelligence and context inform procurement decisions, helping to place accommodation where it is most appropriate and sustainable.

The procurement process is guided by principles of sustainability and measured growth, ensuring that accommodation is not only available but also suitable for long-term use and integrated within local communities.

The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

The Home Office has a legal obligation to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, whilst their claims are being processed.

This Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand.

Our accommodation strategy is to support exit from hotels and deliver a more sustainable model for asylum seekers, local partners, local authorities, and communities as a whole. We are working closely with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to deliver this, with a focus on community cohesion.

Accommodation providers are responsible for sourcing and securing suitable properties. They work closely with local authorities to ensure that local knowledge, intelligence and context inform procurement decisions, helping to place accommodation where it is most appropriate and sustainable.

The procurement process is guided by principles of sustainability and measured growth, ensuring that accommodation is not only available but also suitable for long-term use and integrated within local communities.

The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

When this Government came to office, we inherited a system where hotels had become one of the primary means of providing asylum accommodation – with more than 400 in use in Autumn 2023 at a cost of almost £9 million per day – and where a 70 per cent collapse in asylum decision-making in the last months of the previous administration had driven that pressure up further.

We have taken rapid action to address that chaos, in particular by speeding up the volume of asylum decision-making so that fewer people are stuck in limbo, dependent on support from the state, and so that more failed asylum-seekers can be removed from the UK, along with foreign national offenders and others with no right to be in our country.

The number of hotels in use is now around half the peak reached under the previous Government, and we will take further action over the rest of this Parliament to end the use of asylum hotels entirely.

We are continuing to work with a range of stakeholders to pursue that goal, while fulfilling our statutory obligations in the interim. Where the Home Office needs to use dispersed accommodation, it does so in accordance with the principle of Full Dispersal, announced by the previous government in 2022 to ensure that asylum seekers were more fairly distributed across the UK.

We also continue to consult with local authorities, the police, and other interested parties to ensure that – wherever there are concerns over the impact of particular asylum accommodation sites on the local community, public safety and public amenities – all necessary actions are taken to address those concerns, and protect the security of each local area.

When this Government came to office, we inherited a system where hotels had become one of the primary means of providing asylum accommodation – with more than 400 in use in Autumn 2023 at a cost of almost £9 million per day – and where a 70 per cent collapse in asylum decision-making in the last months of the previous administration had driven that pressure up further.

We have taken rapid action to address that chaos, in particular by speeding up the volume of asylum decision-making so that fewer people are stuck in limbo, dependent on support from the state, and so that more failed asylum-seekers can be removed from the UK, along with foreign national offenders and others with no right to be in our country.

The number of hotels in use is now around half the peak reached under the previous Government, and we will take further action over the rest of this Parliament to end the use of asylum hotels entirely.

We are continuing to work with a range of stakeholders to pursue that goal, while fulfilling our statutory obligations in the interim. Where the Home Office needs to use dispersed accommodation, it does so in accordance with the principle of Full Dispersal, announced by the previous government in 2022 to ensure that asylum seekers were more fairly distributed across the UK.

We also continue to consult with local authorities, the police, and other interested parties to ensure that – wherever there are concerns over the impact of particular asylum accommodation sites on the local community, public safety and public amenities – all necessary actions are taken to address those concerns, and protect the security of each local area.

On the 16 June the Home Secretary announced that she had accepted all 12 of Baroness Casey’s recommendations from her National Audit into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

As part of this, and as recommended by Baroness Casey, the Government is moving swiftly to establish an Independent Commission on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation under the Inquiries Act 2005.

We are working closely with partners across government and beyond to develop the Terms of Reference, which will be shaped through engagement with the appointed Chair, victims and survivors, and other key stakeholders.

Following the appointment of the independent Chair and the establishment of the inquiry structure, the Commission will begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for targeted investigations.

Further details will be announced in due course.

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, sets out proposals for reform in a wide range of areas, including student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, sets out proposals for reform in a wide range of areas, including student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 May to Question 52912.

The Home Office will publish guidance for sponsors in line with the new rules coming into effect on 9 April.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases or legal proceedings in which it is a participant.

The Italian navy has competence for the transfer of migrants rescued in international waters to the centres in Albania run by the Italian government.

As part of this Government’s expansion of international cooperation in the fight against Organised Immigration Crime, we constantly monitor the impact of the methods, techniques and technology that other partner nations and agencies are employing in that fight.

The UK government is monitoring the Italian government implementation of their deal with Albania as an innovative approach to manage migration flows.

The criteria for proscribing an organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000, and the Governments approach to commenting on those decisions remain exactly the same as they were when the Rt Hon Member was a Home Office Minister.

Where cooperation with countries on returns falls below the levels expected, and where appropriate, we stand ready to use all levers available to us to encourage cooperation, including the power to impose visa penalties.

We are moving swiftly to set up the inquiry.

We will consult the families and other interested parties on its scope to ensure all critical issues are addressed while remaining manageable and sensitive to the needs of those most affected.

We will announce further details about the inquiry in due course.

We pledged to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018 and this has been surpassed, with a surge in returns activity since the election leading to nearly 19,000 people with no right to be in the UK being removed in the first six months this government was in office.

That included 5,074 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK, up 24% compared with the same period 12 months prior, and the removal of 2,925 foreign national offenders (FNOs) – a 21% increase on the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).

As part of the above, bespoke charter flights have removed immigration offenders to countries around the world, including 4 of the biggest returns flights in the UK’s history, carrying more than 800 people in total.

This ramp-up reverses the decline in removals seen over the past 10 years and, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, is working to fix the foundations of a broken immigration system.

Further details on this government’s returns activity since 5 July can be found here: Returns from the UK since 5 July 2024 - GOV.UK

Police forces and Policing and Crime Commissioners are responsible for their procurement and commercial strategies for Records Management Systems.

Each force is responsible for evaluating the performance of their Record Management System in line with those strategies and their local requirements.

It would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on the individual performance of one supplier in relation to the factors mentioned.

The information requested is not currently held centrally.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on detentions in police custody in England and Wales, available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.

This data includes the number of detentions by financial year, with the most recently available data up to March 2023. Data for the year ending March 2024 will be available in February 2025.

Police forces and Policing and Crime Commissioners are responsible for their procurement and commercial strategies for Records Management Systems.

Each force is responsible for evaluating the performance of their Record Management System in line with those strategies and their local requirements.

It would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on the individual performance of one supplier in relation to the factors mentioned.

Police forces and Policing and Crime Commissioners are responsible for their procurement and commercial strategies for Records Management Systems.

Each force is responsible for evaluating the performance of their Record Management System in line with those strategies and their local requirements.

It would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on the individual performance of one supplier in relation to the factors mentioned.

Police forces and Policing and Crime Commissioners are responsible for their procurement and commercial strategies for Records Management Systems.

Each force is responsible for evaluating the performance of their Record Management System in line with those strategies and their local requirements.

It would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on the individual performance of one supplier in relation to the factors mentioned.

Police forces and Policing and Crime Commissioners are responsible for their procurement and commercial strategies for Records Management Systems.

Each force is responsible for evaluating the performance of their Record Management System in line with those strategies and their local requirements.

It would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on the individual performance of one supplier in relation to the factors mentioned.

Police forces and Policing and Crime Commissioners are responsible for their procurement and commercial strategies for Records Management Systems.

Each force is responsible for evaluating the performance of their Record Management System in line with those strategies and their local requirements.

It would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on the individual performance of one supplier in relation to the factors mentioned.

The specific purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding with St Helena was to deal with the risk of further migrants attempting to travel to the British Indian Ocean Territory, prior to the sovereignty agreement with Mauritius being formally completed. There are no plans to extend that agreement beyond its current remit.

Ministers are prioritising the risk of synthetic opioids as part of the wider long-term drug strategy. The Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is chaired by the Director General of the Public Safety Group at the Home Office on behalf of the Minister. The Taskforce meets quarterly, including on 3 July and most recently on 10 October 2024. It will next meet in January 2025 and Ministers are regularly briefed by officials on the response.

Reducing drug harms has important benefits for the Government’s missions to deliver safer streets, improve health outcomes and break down barriers to opportunity, while supporting overall economic growth.

On 10th September the Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules. Conducting a review of the financial requirements across the family routes will ensure we have a clear and consistent system.

The MAC ran a call for evidence from 16 September 2024 to 11 December 2024 which will inform their report, and any further changes to the financial requirements across the Family routes will be informed by their recommendations.

As the Rt Hon Member is aware, the Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, on a quarterly basis, but Information on the nationality of offenders is not routinely collected and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportion cost.

The Home Office acted swiftly to pause decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation. We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues.