Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what human rights safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable people from wrongful deportation under the 'one-in, one-out' scheme; and what assessment they have made of how that scheme complies with the UK's obligations under international law.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK - France Agreement is set out in an international treaty and is deemed to be fully compliant with international law, including the Refugee Convention.
Individuals who arrive in the UK via small boat may be detained on arrival under immigration powers pending examination and removal.
In accordance with statutory and international obligations and as part of inadmissibility action, individuals in scope for removal under the treaty are able to make representations regarding matters which may be relevant to an inadmissibility declaration and removal from the UK to France. Case-by-case consideration will be given to any claimed individual circumstances that mean France would not be safe in any particular case, including any vulnerabilities.
Any referrals from individuals who may be victims of modern slavery are carefully considered in line with the relevant statutory and international obligations. Where they are not judged to be a victim of modern slavery and require permission to stay in the UK, their protection claim can then be considered for inadmissible action and the individual considered for return to France.
Where an individual is detained, the suitability of ongoing detention is regularly reviewed, and where there is no legal barrier removal will proceed.
We will continue to work with French authorities to ensure swift, lawful processing under the Agreement and to maintain public safety; and are continuously monitoring and evaluating our pilot, alongside the procedures in place to deliver it.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many members of the Independent Monitoring Board for Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre have been appointed; and what the names of those members are.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) opened on 1 December 2025 following completion of Phase 1 construction. As of 8 December there are currently 9 individuals detained at the IRC. Further information regarding Campsfield IRC can be found in the factsheet: Campsfield immigration removal centre: factsheet - GOV.UK
As with all IRCs, Campsfield IRC is operated in line with Detention Centre Rules 2001, published operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders; a framework which ensures the safety and security of those detained in our care.
Independent scrutiny is a vital part of assurance that our detention facilities are safe, secure, and humane. Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) are required to monitor IRCs as the appointed visiting committee as set out in the Detention Centre Rules 2001 and the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. There are currently four members of the IMB for Campsfield IRC.
IMB chairs and individual member details are not publicised by us or the IMB as the chairs are volunteers. The only names in the public domain are the members of the National Board - About us - Independent Monitoring Boards.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were detained at Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre on 5 December 2025 by reason for detention.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) opened on 1 December 2025 following completion of Phase 1 construction. As of 8 December there are currently 9 individuals detained at the IRC. Further information regarding Campsfield IRC can be found in the factsheet: Campsfield immigration removal centre: factsheet - GOV.UK
As with all IRCs, Campsfield IRC is operated in line with Detention Centre Rules 2001, published operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders; a framework which ensures the safety and security of those detained in our care.
Independent scrutiny is a vital part of assurance that our detention facilities are safe, secure, and humane. Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) are required to monitor IRCs as the appointed visiting committee as set out in the Detention Centre Rules 2001 and the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. There are currently four members of the IMB for Campsfield IRC.
IMB chairs and individual member details are not publicised by us or the IMB as the chairs are volunteers. The only names in the public domain are the members of the National Board - About us - Independent Monitoring Boards.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Home Office policy paper, Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November, whether they intend to detain in immigration detention centres children who were once accepted as refugees but subsequently not so, following a 30-month review of their status.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Pathways for unaccompanied children, families with children, and other vulnerable asylum seekers will be reviewed with full consideration of our EQIA and Section 55 duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK.
As now, children will not be detained in Immigration Removal Centres.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants are assigned to locating absconded foreign national offenders and irregular migrants; and whether performance targets are in place for reducing the size of the absconder pool.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The cost of collating information on absconders will depend on a range of variable factors, including the level of detail required and where the information is held. Extracting information from multiple databases and datasets may also involve manual scrutiny of individual records. Given these variables, any general estimate would be unreliable with assessments instead being made in response to individual requests and the specific circumstances.
The Home Office has a range of tools to trace those who abscond, the number of staff involved in tracing activity varies across Immigration Enforcement depending on operational need, with c.65 staff currently dedicated to tracing activities, aswell as resources elsewhere within the Migration and Borders System, who are responsible for recording information when individuals are found or come back into contact. The number of absconders recorded on Home Office systems can fluctuate and there are no formal targets linked to a reduction in the number. The Home Office works closely with the police, other government agencies, commercial companies and international partners to trace absconders and bring them back into contact. Where new contact details are found we will consider the most appropriate intervention for the person including arrest and detention.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of collating information on absconders.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The cost of collating information on absconders will depend on a range of variable factors, including the level of detail required and where the information is held. Extracting information from multiple databases and datasets may also involve manual scrutiny of individual records. Given these variables, any general estimate would be unreliable with assessments instead being made in response to individual requests and the specific circumstances.
The Home Office has a range of tools to trace those who abscond, the number of staff involved in tracing activity varies across Immigration Enforcement depending on operational need, with c.65 staff currently dedicated to tracing activities, aswell as resources elsewhere within the Migration and Borders System, who are responsible for recording information when individuals are found or come back into contact. The number of absconders recorded on Home Office systems can fluctuate and there are no formal targets linked to a reduction in the number. The Home Office works closely with the police, other government agencies, commercial companies and international partners to trace absconders and bring them back into contact. Where new contact details are found we will consider the most appropriate intervention for the person including arrest and detention.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to cease the purchasing of non-essential items, including vapes, for illegal migrants.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not purchase vapes for people held in immigration detention, and no public money is spent on the purchase of these or any other goods sold at immigration removal centres.
Following a comprehensive review of asylum support, we have taken decisive action to block spending on non-essential goods and services on ASPEN cards and implement enhanced due diligence measures.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing detention capacity to a level that would facilitate the deportation of between 100,000 and 150,000 people per year.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office (specifically Immigration Enforcement), is currently expanding detention capacity through an active programme that will deliver an additional 1,000 beds over the coming years at Campsfield (Oxfordshire) and Haslar (Hampshire). This expansion will significantly increase the number of enforced returns once operational.
Decisions on the required estate size will be based on several factors, including:
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the payment of £500 made to Hadush Kebatu, (a) by what legislative authority this payment was made; (b) what level of payment made under this authority requires ministerial approval, (c) what is the average level of such payments made over the last three years, (d) the total number of such payments made in the last three years and (e) whether she plans to take steps to end such payments.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office applies small discretionary payments, where appropriate, to prevent the failure of returns. These payments facilitate returns by making them quicker and cheaper, helping to avoid delays and additional costs. Decisions on their use are operational in nature.
As always with expenditure on returns, these one-off costs must be set against the much higher long-term costs that would result from the same individuals remaining in the UK, including, where necessary, ongoing expenditure on accommodation or detention and the legal processes required to authorise their removal.
This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on whether any UK companies are supplying (a) equipment and (b) services to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (i) detention centres and (ii) other activities.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
None.