Dover and Portsmouth: Protests
Debate between Sarah Jones and Adnan Hussain(3 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Sarah Jones
The proportion of people being granted asylum has shrunk massively in the last few years, and we have removed more than 80,000 illegal migrants and foreign criminals from this country. We are improving the system and making the changes we need to make, and we will continue to do so.
Mr Adnan Hussain (Blackburn) (Ind)
Does the Minister acknowledge the seriousness of what we are now witnessing: organised militia-like groups of masked men taking to the streets, stopping cars, confronting members of the public and leaving ethnic minority communities terrified in their own towns? Will she plainly say what action, if indeed any, will be taken against these vigilante groups? What responsibility does she believe politicians in this House bear when inflammatory claims of an invasion translate into terror on our streets, racial fear, intimidation and street vigilantism?
Sarah Jones
It is not appropriate for me to comment on the intelligence and the situation, and who is or who is not going to be charged with these two incidents. We do not know enough at this point. The police are operationally independent for good reason and politicians should not be involved in that day-to-day process. Are we looking at the threats that we face in this country, of which there are many? Of course. Is the Home Secretary alive to all of those threats and doing everything she can with all the levers at her disposal? Absolutely.