Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many third country asylum applications have been handled in Northern Ireland in each of the last 5 calendar years, following the applicants having been in the UK for 6 months and 1 day.

Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The safety and security of the United Kingdom is this government’s top priority. We work closely with the Irish government to stop illegal migrants and foreign national offenders exploiting the Common Travel Area.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers UK Border Force has to stop, board and inspect vehicles, public transport, buses and boats for immigration purposes.

Answered by Mike Tapp

Border Force officers have a range of powers to stop, board, examine and search vehicles and vessels for immigration purposes.

Under Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971, immigration officers may board ships and aircraft in connection with the exercise of their immigration functions. They may also search vehicles or containers that have been brought to, or are to be brought to, the United Kingdom by ship, aircraft or train for the purpose of establishing whether there are persons whom they may wish to examine under the Act. These examination powers apply in respect of passengers travelling by private vehicle, public transport, coach, bus, rail, air and maritime services.

In the maritime environment, the Immigration Act 2016 included Part 3A and Schedule 4A, expanding the Immigration Act 1971 to include provide powers, in specified circumstances and where relevant immigration offences are suspected, to stop, board, divert and detain vessels for the purpose of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting such offences.

The exercise of all Border Force powers is subject to the relevant statutory framework and operational guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times UK Border Force has exercised powers to stop, board and inspect vehicles, public transport, buses and boats for immigration purposes in each of the last five calendar years.

Answered by Mike Tapp

The Home Office does not hold centrally collated data on the number of occasions Border Force has exercised powers to stop, board and inspect vehicles, public transport, buses and boats for immigration purposes in each of the last five calendar years.

Border Force officers have powers under immigration legislation to stop, board, examine and search vehicles and vessels for immigration purposes. These powers are exercised routinely as part of day-to-day border operations and are not routinely recorded or centrally collated in a way that would enable the Department to provide the figures requested.

While Border Force maintains operational records relating to passengers and immigration checks, it does not hold data on the number of vehicles or vessels examinations undertaken.

Jeffrey Donaldson

Security for at-risk MPs

30th anniversary of Christians Against Poverty

78th anniversary of the creation of the National Health Service

Tynwald Day 2026

Found: Recovery (ICRIR) I made a commitment to respond in writing to questions from committee member Gavin Robinson

Found: Q4 Gavin Robinson: Good morning to you all.

Found: Q4 Gavin Robinson: Good morning to you all.

Found: Q26 Gavin Robinson: Good afternoon to you all.

Found: Q244 Gavin Robinson: Hang on.

Found: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat; Wimbledon) Katrina Murray (Labour; Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) Gavin Robinson

Found: Q39 Gavin Robinson: Good morning to you all.

Found: Q39 Gavin Robinson: Good morning to you all.

Submit Evidence (by 1 Sep 2026)

The committee is undertaking an inquiry into the taxation of the hospitality and tourism sectors in Northern Ireland, which will consider differences in VAT rates and other costs between Northern Ireland’s hospitality and tourism sectors compared with the Republic of Ireland. It will examine the potential impact of a reduced VAT rate and explore what other tax and policy changes could help support the sectors.