Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the her Department has taken to establish whether individuals convicted of serious people-smuggling offences overseas are present in the UK; and whether these individuals will be prevented from obtaining immigration status or protection in the UK.

We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Government’s commitment to tackle foreign criminality.

All applications for a visa or Electronic Travel Authorisation are checked against a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevant offences/convictions, their application will be refused, and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.

Anyone convicted of a particularly serious crime who is considered a danger to the UK will be excluded from protection and considered for removal from the UK.