Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to negotiate an agreement with the Republic of Ireland on the return of asylum seekers (a) from Ireland to the UK and (b) from the UK to Ireland.

In 2020, we agreed with Ireland bilateral non-legally binding operational arrangements which allows for the return and readmission of asylum seekers when agreed by both participants.

We will only make agreements that are in the interests of the UK, and will not accept any future deals which might increase the significant burdens already placed on the UK by the level of illegal migration.