Asked by: Peter Prinsley (Labour - Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help implement the recommendations of the Cranston inquiry to help prevent avoidable deaths in the channel.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The loss of life from the fatal incident of 23/24 November 2021 was an appalling tragedy, and our thoughts remain with the survivors, the victims and loved ones who suffered as a result.
The response to the Cranston Inquiry report is being led by the Department for Transport (DfT). The Home Office is engaging with the DfT on the response to those recommendations which are pertinent to its area of policy.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of small boat migrants that will enter the UK in 2026.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not make a single estimate of this kind. A range of scenarios are considered for operational planning purposes.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of small boat migrants that have re-entered the UK in 2026 that have previously been removed from the country.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office will publish statistics on returns from the UK up to March 2026 on 21 May 2026. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account several factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been detained in preparation for removal to France under the pilot small boat crossings returns scheme since 1 August 2025; and of those cases how many were (1) age disputed, and (2) found to be a child.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Operational details of the scheme are not disclosed outside of what has already been published as this may impact migrant behaviour or be exploited by organised crime gangs.
Removing minors to France is explicitly prohibited under Article 4(2)(d) of the Agreement.
Individuals are not removed to France where their age is in dispute, given the terms of the Treaty sets out that those removed will be individuals who have been determined to be an adult. We have recently seen several cases where migrants in this country are claiming to be children to prevent their removal.
This can happen despite having claimed to be an adult upon arrival in the country.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on whether anyone that has been removed from the UK in 2026 has subsequently re-entered the country via small boat.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
This specific information is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant date could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Statistics on daily small boat arrivals to the UK are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats and information and statistics on returns can be read at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-december-2025/how-many-people-are-returned-from-the-uk.
These show a 21% increase in enforced returns and a 23% increase in asylum‑related returns in 2025 compared with the previous year. Individuals who subsequently attempt to re-enter the UK illegally will be subject to enforcement action in line with existing immigration laws and their case will be considered for expediated return.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) operational, (b) logistical and (c) legal constraints on the the ability of the Royal Navy to conduct (i) deterrence or (ii) interdiction operations against small boat migrant people-smuggling activities within UK territorial waters in the English Channel.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Home Office, through the Border Security Command, is the lead Government Department responsible for tackling illegal migration and people‑smuggling in the English Channel. His Majesty’s Coastguard is responsible for search and rescue at sea. Their responses to the issue of small boat migration are underpinned by the UK’s legal obligations as a responsible maritime nation.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her department has assessed the potential impact of beach-based police interventions in northern France on recent trends in levels of deaths in the Channel; and what measures she is implementing to help minimise potential risks from such interventions.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Our ongoing partnership with French law enforcement prevented over 22,000 crossing attempts during 2025. We are working closely with the French to reduce the risk to life from these crossings and with partners across Europe to bring the smuggling gangs to justice. We will continue our work with the French Government to explore every avenue to understand what further can be done in the Channel to disrupt and deter small boat crossings.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of UK-funded French police operations on the safety and wellbeing of people attempting to seek asylum; and what steps she is taking to ensure accountability for violence committed by officers funded by the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
It would be inappropriate for the Home Office to comment upon the composition or duties of French law enforcement units. It is important to emphasise that French law enforcement units necessarily operate independently of UK law enforcement, though there is regular liaison, information exchange, and alignment of operational approaches between the two countries.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what monitoring mechanisms exist to ensure that UK-funded activities in France, whether involving public authorities or private contractors, do not contribute to human rights violations against people on the move.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
France is a key partner in tackling OIC and joint work is seeing French personnel being deployed, supported by cutting-edge surveillance technologies and equipment; and more work is being done to disrupt organised criminal gangs through improved intelligence sharing.
Details of UK funding to France and its purpose are publicly available here:
The Government ensures that UK funded activities to prevent small boat crossings comply with human rights obligations through regular engagement with French counterparts, robust governance arrangements within the agreements, and ongoing monitoring and review processes to identify and address any potential risks promptly. These measures collectively safeguard against any breach of human rights while supporting the objectives of the agreements.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much UK public funding has been provided to the French Government under agreements relating to Channel operations since 2020; and for what specific purposes this funding has been used.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
France is a key partner in tackling OIC and joint work is seeing French personnel being deployed, supported by cutting-edge surveillance technologies and equipment; and more work is being done to disrupt organised criminal gangs through improved intelligence sharing.
Details of UK funding to France and its purpose are publicly available here:
The Government ensures that UK funded activities to prevent small boat crossings comply with human rights obligations through regular engagement with French counterparts, robust governance arrangements within the agreements, and ongoing monitoring and review processes to identify and address any potential risks promptly. These measures collectively safeguard against any breach of human rights while supporting the objectives of the agreements.