Huw Merriman
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Illegal Seaborne Migration
Huw Merriman Excerpts(4 years, 10 months ago)
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Mr Speaker
I cannot be expected to call two Tottenham fans in a row, so I call Huw Merriman.
Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
It is always better to go for the Arsenal fan on that basis, Mr Speaker.
It is very much with the vulnerable people in mind that I ask this question of the Minister. Will she ensure that she continues to apply the full force of the law? If we send out the wrong signal to people that they can make this perilous journey, I am afraid that more and more of them will lose their lives and be taken advantage of by despicable people. I say that because I represent an East Sussex English channel constituency, and I am afraid that we will be left to deal with the aftermath.
Caroline Nokes
I thank my hon. Friend for that question. As I mentioned earlier, Immigration Enforcement and the National Crime Agency have made a total of 24 arrests in relation to the small boats threat. It is imperative that we continue to keep up the pressure on organised crime gangs, but he is right to point out that the individuals who make the perilous crossings are, in many cases, both vulnerable and the victims of those gangs. It is important to treat them properly and to ensure that they are safe, but this has to be about disrupting organised crime, because that is where the real threat lies.