Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a system for recording deaths and serious injuries at the UK-France border; and why mortality data at that border is not routinely published.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office maintains a record of reported fatalities that have occurred as a result of attempts to make dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary crossings of the Channel by migrants in small boats. Most of these fatalities have taken place in French Territorial Waters, and so it would not be appropriate for UK authorities to publish information about fatal incidents occurring outside the UK's jurisdiction.
Those fatal incidents that have taken place in UK TTW are subject to UK coronial and official inquiry processes, and their reports are a matter of public record.
Serious injuries are extremely rare along the UK-France border and following interceptions by Border Force (canalised entry) and BSC (includes all Maritime interception, welfare receptions, initial interviewing and immigration processing on land), but there has always been violence and inhumane treatment perpetrated by people smuggling gangs across Europe and beyond. The UK and international partners are resolved on disrupting and dismantling these gangs.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many small boat crossings have taken place in each of the last ten years, including 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes daily statistics on detected small boat arrivals to the UK in the Small boat activity in the English Channel - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) release.
More detailed published data on small boat arrivals to the UK are provided in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release(opens in a new tab)’, with the nationality, age grouping and sex of arrivals shown in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets(opens in a new tab)’, with the latest data up to the end of September 2025.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of her Department's progress on reducing unauthorised migration across the English Channel.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has taken significant steps to address illegal migration and its Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration. We are committed to tackling illegal migration and the criminal networks which facilitate it. Since July 2024, nearly 50,000 individuals without lawful status have been removed from the UK. Our agreement with France means that those arriving by small boats can be detained and returned to France.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 has now received Royal Assent and the overarching impact assessment for this can be found here:
The Government is continuously monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of our measures in place to tackle small boats. As stated in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, the Border Security Command will be publishing an annual report, which must state the Commander’s views on the performance in the financial year of the border security system. This is set out in the Act here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/31/section/4/enacted(opens in a new tab)
Border security is fundamental to both our national security and economic security and evaluating our approach is a critical part of that.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department has reviewed the suitability of resources, including trained personnel and appropriate equipment, used by UK Border Force when searching for and rescuing migrants in the English Channel.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The operational response to these dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary crossings of the Channel by migrants in small boats is led by Border Security Command’s Maritime and Small Boat Operations. The personnel and equipment needs for that command are kept under regular review to ensure that resource matches risk.
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) operations in the Channel, rescuing migrants from unseaworthy vessels, are coordinated and directed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). BSC Maritime and Small Boat Operations work closely with DfT and MCA (the regulator) to ensure safety and legal compliance.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 8th December 2025 to Question 95558, how many of the 153 individuals returned to France under the agreement have subsequently attempted to re-enter the UK illegally.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Anyone who re-enters illegally may face immediate detention and, where appropriate, we will seek to expedite removal. This will not count as a new removal in the reciprocal scheme.
The system is working: two individuals who returned to the UK having already been removed were detected, detained, and their cases were expedited for return.
We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal smuggling gangs. Our ongoing partnership with French law enforcement has prevented over 21,000 crossing attempts to the UK this year.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to deter small boat crossings in the English Channel.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration. We are committed to tackling illegal migration and the criminal networks behind it.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 has now received Royal Assent and the overarching impact assessment for this can be found here:
The Government is continuously monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of our measures in place to tackle small boats. As stated in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, the Border Security Command will be publishing an annual report, which must state the Commander’s views on the performance in the financial year of the border security system. This is set out in the Act here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/31/section/4/enacted
Border security is fundamental to both our national security and economic security and evaluating our approach is a critical part of that.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the security services on the monitoring of foreign offenders who may be crossing the Channel to avoid justice for crimes they have committed in other European countries.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We have launched the Border Security Command (BSC) whose work is imperative not only to stop criminals from entering the UK via small boats in the first place but to stop anyone from making these dangerous journeys. This is why the BSC is working with partners internationally to tackle and disrupt organised immigration crime gangs.
All individuals arriving in the UK via small boats undergo a comprehensive screening process. This is designed to gather key information about each person, including any indicators of criminality.
As part of this process, the Home Office collects biometric data—such as facial images and fingerprints—to verify identity. These biometrics are checked against Home Office systems and other law enforcement databases, including Interpol’s wanted list. This enables us to identify individuals, assess whether they pose a risk to public safety, and determine any breaches of immigration law. These checks are essential to maintaining a secure, fair, and effective immigration system.
In line with the Refugee Convention, refugee status will be denied to those who have committed serious crimes, pose a danger to the community, or present a threat to national security.
For further details on security checks during the asylum screening process, please refer to: Screening and routing
This process also ensures that individuals who should not be granted bail are identified promptly.
I am unable to comment specifically on discussions with the Security Service given that, for reasons for national security, it has been a long-standing position that the Government does not comment on intelligence matters.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82448 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, what the cost is of (a) charter and (b) regularly scheduled flights to conduct returns under the new UK-France agreement.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
I have been clear that we do not comment on costs for scheduledflights or charter flights, and this was made explicit in the answer to the original Question. These are commercially sensitive arrangements that can provide an insight into pricing structure. To do otherwise could deter the private sector from entering into contracts with the Home Office.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83507 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, whether that figure refers to the number of people prevented from crossing.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
9,686 refers to the number of attempts by people prevented from crossing in that time period.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to track people crossing the Channel who might pose a security risk.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have launched the Border Security Command (BSC) whose work is imperative not only to stop criminals from entering the UK via small boats in the first place but to stop anyone from making these dangerous journeys. This is why the BSC is working with partners internationally to tackle and disrupt organised immigration crime gangs.
All individuals arriving in the UK via small boats undergo a comprehensive screening process. This is designed to gather key information about each person, including any indicators of criminality.
As part of this process, the Home Office collects biometric data—such as facial images and fingerprints—to verify identity. These biometrics are checked against Home Office systems and other law enforcement databases, including Interpol’s wanted list. This enables us to identify individuals, assess whether they pose a risk to public safety, and determine any breaches of immigration law. These checks are essential to maintaining a secure, fair, and effective immigration system.
In line with the Refugee Convention, refugee status will be denied to those who have committed serious crimes, pose a danger to the community, or present a threat to national security.
For further details on security checks during the asylum screening process, please refer to: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a0e95e49b9c0597fdb03dd/Screening+and+routing.pdf
This process also ensures that individuals who should not be granted bail are identified promptly.