Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled The theme of migration and asylum in election campaigns and the consequences on the welcoming and rights of migrants at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23 January 2024.

Current levels of immigration are unprecedented with net migration at 672,000 in the year to June 2023, up significantly on pre-pandemic volumes. This is partly because the UK is at the forefront of efforts to support those who flee persecution, conflict and instability. We welcomed over half a million people on resettlement schemes and visa routes since 2015. In parallel the government is addressing legal migration, including a plan to curb immigration abuse. We are working with international partners to tackle illegal migration.