Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent illegal immigration and (b) reduce the number of asylum claims from individuals coming from safe countries.

Since entering office, we have already launched the Border Security Command (BSC), led by Martin Hewitt, to strengthen our approach to prevent illegal migration. This will be backed with up to £75 million in new investment to build capability, taking the fight to criminals in Europe and beyond and directly targeting the criminal gangs behind small boat crossings.

The BSC will provide strategic direction across several agencies and partners, drawing together the work across the border security system. It will also work with international partners to disrupt the activity of criminal smuggling gangs and ensure those profiting from people-smuggling are brought to justice.

As set out in the King’s speech, this government will introduce new legislative measures to restore order to our border.

The proposed new legislation will include provisions to give the border security system stronger powers to disrupt, investigate and prosecute facilitators of organised immigration crime.