Migrant Crossings

Lord Bishop of Durham Excerpts

Monday 7th January 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Yes, the obligation of HMS “Mersey” is obviously to protect lives at sea, but of course those people’s cases will be established at some point in their journey—whether it is an asylum claim or whatever. Border officials will then determine the purpose for which those people are either going back to France or coming to the UK—presumably coming to the UK.

[The Lord Bishop of Durham]

My Lords, on a slightly different tack, given that those seeking asylum seem to be mainly Iranians, and the number of Iranians seeking asylum in the past two years has been steadily reducing, is work being done to discern whether this is an increase in number or a transfer of route? Is work being done to understand the dynamics of exactly what is going on?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Work is most certainly being done to understand the dynamics of what is going on. I know that talks are ongoing to try to resolve the situation.