Ukraine Debate

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Department: Home Office
Tuesday 1st March 2022

(2 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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I am sure that can be done, because that will be documents of permission to travel.

Greg Smith Portrait Greg Smith (Buckingham) (Con)
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I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. In fast-moving circumstances, she is making absolutely the right calls, not least in the creation of the humanitarian support pathway. Further to the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Forest of Dean (Mr Harper) earlier, history teaches us that infiltration is a well-known Russian tactic that is likely to be happening now. That is why we categorically must not drop the security and biometric tests.

Priti Patel Portrait Priti Patel
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Infiltration is one aspect, but there is much wider security and intelligence information that points to why we need these checks. We know—I have said it already in this House—what Putin is capable of in terms of threats to our own homeland security. We saw that with Salisbury. People have died in our country, and it is right that we ensure we check those who come to the United Kingdom.