Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what dates she has raised small boat crossings with the European Commission since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office ministers and officials speak with overseas counterparts on a regular basis on a wide range of issues, including representatives of the European Commission.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
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 proposals by the French Government to allow the interception of small boats up to 300 metres from shore on the number of small boats crossing the Channel.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government acknowledges France’s commitment to review its maritime strategy and it will continue to engage with French counterparts to support any changes arising from that review with the intention of reducing the number of dangerous small boat crossings.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they propose to prevent migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is pursing a strategic shift in Border Security, focusing on long-term systemic improvements, smarter, intelligence-led interventions and stronger partnerships across agencies and with countries upstream to target the criminal gangs behind small boat crossings.
The Border Security Command, created in July 2024, and is leading the national response to prevent small boats crossing the English Channel. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will give it statutory authority to coordinate across government and law enforcement.
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will also enhance powers for the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement, and police, enable earlier intervention in smuggling operations and improve the ability to detect, prevent, and prosecute smugglers.
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 17 June 2025 to Question 58350 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel and with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration, published on 23 March 2023, what metrics are used to measure (a) progress and (b) the effectiveness of these policies.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 17 June to Question 58350. Further updates will be announced in the normal way in due course.
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 17 June 2025 to Question 58350 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel and with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration, published on 23 March 2023, whether her Department is funding an increase of 500 in law enforcement and human resources deployments in France.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer | gave him on 17 June to Question 58350. Further updates will be announced in the normal way in due course.
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 17 June 2025 to Question 58350 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel and with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration, published on 23 March 2023, whether HM Treasury has paid France the £209m contribution for 2025-26.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer | gave him on 17 June to Question 58350. Further updates will be announced in the normal way in due course.
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 17 June 2025 to Question 58350 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, with reference to the Policy paper published on 23 March 2023 entitled UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration, what progress she has made in developing a retention centre to (a) increase the number of returns and (b) prevent the recurrence of crossing attempts.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer | gave him on 17 June to Question 58350. Further updates will be announced in the normal way in due course.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54430 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, how many people arriving in small boats have been found to have (a) convictions, (b) pending prosecutions and (c) wanted or missing reports since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office conducts mandatory identity and security checks on all small boat arrivals.
In line with the Refugee Convention, we will deny the benefits of protection status to those who commit particularly serious crimes and are a danger to the community or those who are a threat to national security.
Anyone convicted of a particularly serious crime resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, and are considered a danger to the UK, will be denied asylum and will be considered for removal from the UK. Those refused protection status who cannot be removed will be subject to regular review until they can be removed at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54430 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, how many and what proportion of people arriving by small boat undergo further checks on criminality.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office conducts mandatory identity and security checks on all small boat arrivals.
In line with the Refugee Convention, we will deny the benefits of protection status to those who commit particularly serious crimes and are a danger to the community or those who are a threat to national security.
Anyone convicted of a particularly serious crime resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, and are considered a danger to the UK, will be denied asylum and will be considered for removal from the UK. Those refused protection status who cannot be removed will be subject to regular review until they can be removed at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54430 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, what steps her Department is taking to remove small boat arrivals who fail criminality checks.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office conducts mandatory identity and security checks on all small boat arrivals.
In line with the Refugee Convention, we will deny the benefits of protection status to those who commit particularly serious crimes and are a danger to the community or those who are a threat to national security.
Anyone convicted of a particularly serious crime resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, and are considered a danger to the UK, will be denied asylum and will be considered for removal from the UK. Those refused protection status who cannot be removed will be subject to regular review until they can be removed at the earliest opportunity.