Illegal Migration

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The shadow Home Secretary criticised the government's claim that they are stopping the boats, noting the high number of arrivals in recent months compared to previous years. She also questioned why hotel use has increased despite promises to reduce it.

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The MP asked about the effectiveness of Project Invigor and its impact on the operations in the channel.

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The MP questioned the effectiveness of returns and asked about progress with Rwanda, expressing concerns over legal costs.

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The MP criticises the Home Secretary’s claim that her policies are working, highlighting an asylum backlog at a record high of 170,000 cases. She points out a threefold increase in arrivals since two years ago and an estimated £13 million earned by criminal gangs in recent months. The shadow notes enforcement visits have dropped 22% compared to pre-pandemic levels, as well as arrest rates dropping 17%. Cooper argues the Home Secretary’s boasting about cutting backlogs is misleading, as it has only cleared cases from before June 2022 while new backlogs continue to grow. She further criticises hotel use for asylum seekers increasing and the government's failure in return rates.

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The MP expresses support for the Home Secretary’s efforts to address the immigration crisis but suggests that sharing rooms, using barges and drones, and relying on the French are not effective solutions. He asks when flights off to Rwanda will commence.

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The Home Secretary's use of selective statistics is criticised for not addressing the real issues, such as an increased asylum backlog and a decrease in decision makers. She also highlights that Afghan refugees have come through dangerous routes due to lack of proper resettlement pathways, while very few are being granted sanctuary via established programmes.

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The MP welcomes progress but asks for an investigation into a boat crossing incident where the French and British border forces allegedly cooperated in a manner not intended.

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If a Ugandan individual seeking asylum due to homophobic laws seeks sanctuary in the UK, will she grant them sanctuary?

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Would reducing the waiting time from a year to three months decrease accommodation costs by 75%?

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The MP questions the effectiveness and humanity of the Home Secretary's approach, noting that the backlog is actually increasing despite her claims.

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What more is being done to increase capacity for deportation and processing overseas?

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Does the Home Secretary see how intransigence on Afghan schemes is pushing vulnerable Afghans to come by small boats?

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Does the Home Secretary share alarm about Labour MPs signing a letter against deportation of foreign criminals?

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Concerns are raised about asylum seekers being left without accommodation despite government spending £7 million a day on accommodation.

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Thanked the Home Secretary for her statement and mentioned a recent incident involving asylum seekers in Pimlico, stating that local councillors had worked to resolve it. Asked if Westminster City Council was informed about the hotel being used and requested a meeting to discuss the suitability of central London hotels.

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Critiqued the Home Secretary's handling of migration, questioning whether the change in definition from clearing the backlog by year-end to a legacy backlog is due to only 20% clearance so far this year.

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Expressed concern about local economy impact due to a hotel used for asylum seekers, specifically asking for timelines on when hotels would be returned to normal use.

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Criticised government approach as damaging local trust, called for scrapping Rwanda scheme in favour of recruiting Home Office staff to process claims.

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Welcomed statement but questioned fairness of using RAF Scampton, considering local community concerns.

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Asked if the Home Office estimates that measures within the Illegal Migration Bill could cost up to £6 billion.

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Supported Home Secretary's efforts but expressed concerns over Rwanda's involvement with a terrorist organisation in Congo.

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Criticised 'hostile environment' policy as cruel and inhumane, questioning conditions on barges or MOD sites.

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Asked if the Home Secretary agrees that reducing asylum case backlog must be done properly without accepting claims merely to reduce it quickly.

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Cited France as receiving three times more illegal migrants but processing faster than the UK, asked for lessons from France.

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In this month of all months—Pride month—I want to follow-up on the answer that the Home Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda (Sir Chris Bryant). We know that Uganda has introduced a law that brings in the death penalty for what it terms “aggravated homosexuality”. Is she saying that, if a Ugandan was on a boat and came here on a boat, she would deport them to Rwanda when, in 2021, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, it was detaining LGBT people and claiming they did not represent Rwandan values? Has she even read her own Home Office equality impact assessment that details the illegal treatment?

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The Home Secretary keeps talking about achieving value for money for the taxpayer. Has she made a calculation of what the net gain to the Treasury would be if asylum seekers were granted the right to work? They would then be able to pay for their own accommodation and pay taxes into the system, instead of taking money out.

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Local residents and I are very concerned about the Home Secretary’s proposals to house 200 asylum seekers in the Stradey Park hotel in my constituency. Will she agree to meet me to hear about our concerns and to explain what she is doing to increase the pace of clearing the backlog of 160,000 undetermined asylum claims, so that those from safe countries can be returned and there will be no need for her to consider using the Stradey Park hotel?

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I want to raise the use of divisive language by the Home Secretary throughout this statement on immigration, and a few weeks ago when she described multiculturalism as a “recipe for communal disaster”. As a product of multiculturalism myself and representing Luton North, a town proudly multicultural, let me tell her that she is wrong. There are thousands like me from multicultural families. Does she really want to deny our right to exist? Is not the truth that the use of such vile rhetoric is just a cynical ploy to turn people against each other, rather than on those truly responsible for the backlog, the boats and the needless deaths—this Conservative Government?

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The Home Secretary has said today that she wants to use the armed forces estate and barracks. Does she understand what condition they are in? Does she understand what the additional costs are going to be to repair them to make them habitable? How much will that add to the already £6 billion that she is spending on this new Bill? How will that affect our hospitals, our schools and our children’s education?

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The Home Secretary claimed in her statement that “the asylum initial decision backlog is down by 17,000”, but the Home Office’s own statistics say there are now 173,000 initial decision cases, up from 161,000 in December. So will the Home Secretary admit the colossal scale and epic costs of her failures, running into hundreds of millions of pounds to the British taxpayer, and will she withdraw that incorrect claim?

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The Home Secretary’s statement on the boats mentions the need to acquire two further prison boats, but the Prime Minister is refusing to say where those will be located. Have there been any relevant discussions with local authorities, and does the Home Secretary plan to recruit more staff to fix the broken immigration system and its 172,000 backlog?

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Children who have been brought into this country from desperate situations will bring with them not simply the trauma of events, but also the real physical ailments that are part and parcel of fleeing from persecution—the Secretary of State has referred to that. Will she outline how their needs can possibly be met by the proposed housing arrangement, and will she allow for the fact that exceptional family circumstances deserve to be part of that key family consideration?