Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Lamont and Angela Eagle

Monday 2nd June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dame Angela Eagle]

When people arrive and claim to be children, there are tests at the border to check whether we think they are children. If they are accepted as children, they are put into local authority care, so they should not be in asylum accommodation at all. If they are seen to be adults and end up in asylum accommodation, they can always make an appeal to the local authority that they are in and undergo what is known as a Merton age assessment test, which will decide on their age once and for all.

[John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)]

T2. On Saturday, 1,200 illegal migrants poured into the United Kingdom by small boat. Many gave spurious reasons to stay here, so when will the Government repeal the Human Rights Act 1998 for immigration cases and take back control of our borders?

[Dame Angela Eagle]

To tackle illegal migration, we must work across borders in co-operation with other jurisdictions. Were we to leave the European convention on human rights, we could not work with those that sign up to it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Lamont and Angela Eagle

Monday 31st March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dame Angela Eagle]

I understand the heightened anxiety among Syrian asylum seekers, but the Home Office relies on the country information in order to make decisions on whether particular people need protection, and that information is currently in the middle of quite profound change. When we are in a position to make decisions against new, more up-to-date information, we will certainly do so. I hope the Syrian community will be patient and not too anxious about the pause currently in place.

[John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)]

How many hotels in Scotland are used to house asylum seekers?

[Dame Angela Eagle]

We do not comment on where hotels are, but I can tell the hon. Gentleman that there are 216 hotels across the whole country. We will be getting those numbers down as quickly as we can.