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Border Security: Collaboration
11 December 2024
Lead MP
Yvette Cooper
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
ImmigrationAsylum & RefugeesMigrants & BordersCrime & Law EnforcementDefenceForeign Affairs
Other Contributors: 25
At a Glance
Yvette Cooper raised concerns about border security: collaboration in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
ImmigrationAsylum & RefugeesMigrants & BordersCrime & Law EnforcementDefenceForeign Affairs
Government Statement
With permission from Mr Speaker, Yvette Cooper made a statement on new border security agreements with Germany and the Calais group of Interior Ministers. The statement covered discussions at the Calais group meeting regarding Syria's political transition and the temporary pause on Syrian asylum claims due to instability risks. It also detailed agreements reached with Iraq and new strengthened collaborations closer to home, including increased international cooperation against organised immigration crime through law enforcement measures and intelligence sharing. Cooper emphasised the arrest of smugglers and trafficking gangs involved in channel crossings, noting a 19% increase in enforced returns since the election, alongside enhanced Border Security Command operations and joint action plans with Germany aimed at dismantling supply chains and prosecuting smugglers.
Chris Philp
Con
Croydon South
Question
Philp questioned the Home Secretary's claim that her approach was 'delivering results' and pointed to an increase of 18% in illegal channel crossings since the election, arguing this is a failure rather than delivering results. He also asked why the Government had not introduced a deterrent as suggested by the National Crime Agency.
Minister reply
The minister responded without specific details provided, but typically such responses would address criticisms about effectiveness of current measures and plans to strengthen enforcement or introduce additional deterrence mechanisms.
Chris Philp
Con
Croydon South
Question
Philp inquired whether the French accepted returns of people crossing the channel, as this could provide a strong deterrent. He also asked if France would intercept small boats near their shore as Belgium does.
Minister reply
The minister did not provide an explicit response but likely engaged with questions about bilateral arrangements for border management and intercept policies.
Chris Philp
Con
Croydon South
Question
Philp questioned the Home Secretary's claim that her approach is delivering results, citing an increase in small boat crossings and asylum hotel use. He also raised concerns about a decrease in removals of individuals crossing by small boats.
Minister reply
Yvette Cooper responded by highlighting the Conservatives' failure to address rising criminal industries during their tenure, leading to increased small boat crossings. She noted that returns were down significantly under Conservative rule and that asylum decisions had been severely cut before the election.
Stella Creasy
Lab Co-op
Walthamstow
Question
Creasy welcomed the Home Secretary's focus on targeting those who exploit refugees, but asked for more clarity regarding the refreshed assessment of Syrian asylum claims. She highlighted the uncertainty within the Syrian community due to ongoing political instability.
Minister reply
Yvette Cooper responded that they are reviewing the situation swiftly and have withdrawn previous Syria country guidance. The Home Secretary emphasised the need for caution in assessing future developments in Syria, noting the current uncertainty about the regime's stability.
Lisa Smart
Lib Dem
Hazel Grove
Question
I thank the Home Secretary for her statement, and for advance sight of it. On Syria, this is a fast-moving situation, and it is absolutely right that the temporary pause on decisions on Syrian asylum claims is kept under constant review. The UK should be doing all it can to help secure an orderly transition of power in Syria in accordance with international law, and the Government should move to offer asylum seekers and others certainty about their claims as soon as possible.
Minister reply
The hon. Member raised asylum claims from Syria. This is something we discussed in the Calais group, and all five countries are taking the same approach of recognising that we cannot currently take decisions. We clearly want to be able to do so as swiftly as possible, but we need to monitor the situation in Syria in the meantime.
Lisa Smart
Lib Dem
Hazel Grove
Question
We welcome the Government’s attempts to tackle people smuggling gangs, who send vulnerable people on perilous journeys across the channel. We also appreciate their working closely with our European neighbours on this issue, instead of blaming them, as the previous Conservative Government did all too often. Does the Home Secretary agree that in addition to bilateral agreements with states and the Calais group, such as the one she signed yesterday, we need to work even more closely with inter-state agencies such as Europol, which she mentioned, and Eurojust to restore the UK police’s real-time access to the EU-wide data sharing systems that lead to the identifying and arrest of criminals?
Minister reply
The hon. Member raised the importance of other partnership working, including with Europol and Eurojust, and I agree with her on the importance of that. One of the things we agreed, first with Germany and then as part of the Calais group discussions at which Europol was also present, is that we were keen either to establish a new Europol taskforce or to expand one of the existing taskforces to look at the end-to-end smuggler route and its supply chains, and particularly to work with the Kurdish authorities and the Iraqi Government on the end-to-end route involving the Iraqi Kurdish criminal smuggler gangs. All those involved, including the Iraqi Government, are keen to work with us on that, but we need that Europol taskforce in place in order to be able to do that.
Lisa Smart
Lib Dem
Hazel Grove
Question
We should not forget how we ended up in this mess. The asylum backlog ballooned thanks to the last Conservative Government, and thousands of people are currently waiting for their claims to be processed. Can the Home Secretary update the House on what progress she and colleagues are making in tackling the backlog? Will she commit to establishing a dedicated unit to improve the speed and quality of asylum decision making, and introduce a service standard of three months for all but the most complex asylum claims to be processed?
Minister reply
On asylum decision making, we are increasing the caseworkers in post and we have substantially increased the pace of decisions. Decision making had plummeted by about 70% just before the election, but we now have the extra caseworkers in place and we have got decisions back up to where they were. That allows us to clear the backlog on initial decisions.
Chris Murray
Lab
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Question
I spent 15 years working on migration before I came into this House, including three years as the home affairs attaché in Paris, where I saw at first hand how the kind of instruments and data sharing the Home Secretary is describing can make a concrete difference in the fight against immigration crime. Can she tell us a bit more about the steps she has taken to build the relationships with these key European allies? Will she also commit to keeping her foot to the floor on this issue?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend has considerable experience in these issues, and I thank him for all his work on this. He is right to say that, with something as basic as the right kind of information and intelligence sharing, if the systems are removed and no new systems are put in place, basic operational actions simply do not happen.
James Cleverly
Con
Braintree
Question
I welcome the Home Secretary’s commitment to maintaining the relationships with the Calais group interior Ministers that I was developing when I was in her role, and to building on the UK Frontex agreement that I signed with Commissioner Johansson in February of this year. However, I want her to explain this to the House: if the role of the Border Security Command is so clear, if the division of labour between it and the small boats operational command is so clear, and if this issue is so pressing, why has it taken five months to give them a mission?
Minister reply
I recognise the points that the former Home Secretary has made. To be fair to him, he had to do a lot of work to try to repair the relationship with the Calais group and with some of the European partners, after some of his predecessors had been rather more careless, shall we say, and rather more destructive in that relationship.
Jonathan Brash
Lab
Hartlepool
Question
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement and the frankly grown-up approach she is taking to tackling this problem. Does she recognise the fury that is felt by constituents in Hartlepool and elsewhere that, as this system collapsed over the past five years, with all the costs associated with that, simultaneously our public services were eviscerated?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes a really important point. What we saw was the loss of control of our border security, the loss of control along the channel where the criminal gangs were allowed to take hold, and the chaos that was allowed to develop in the asylum system.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Question
I welcome this joint action plan. It is in our national security interest that it works, and I hope it does so. She mentioned working upstream. May I encourage her to meet the interior Ministers of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia and also interior Ministers in the Sahel, because she will know that a lot of the migration through the Mediterranean is coming out of north Africa?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman makes a really important point about the work upstream. We did include interior Ministers from north Africa as part of the G7 discussions in Italy in October.
Melanie Onn
Lab
Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes
Question
Welcomes the Home Secretary’s statement on efforts to tackle small boat crossings, highlights previous financial commitments made by the Government but expresses concern about increasing problems. Requests reassurance that these agreements will bring about change.
Minister reply
Emphasises importance of partnership working with European countries beyond France, including prevention work along French coast and tackling gangs before they reach the coast.
Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey
Question
Raises concerns about Syrian asylum seekers in light of recent instability in Syria and new leadership's commitment to jihadist ideology. Asks for careful processing of paused asylum claims.
Minister reply
Acknowledges ongoing instability and importance of monitoring developments closely, highlighting need for care and detailed monitoring.
Amanda Martin
Lab
Portsmouth North
Question
Criticises previous Government’s immigration policy as a mess. Asks the Home Secretary to assure constituents that efforts against small boat arrivals are not just a gimmick.
Minister reply
Stresses importance of partnership, hard work and graft over posturing or gimmicks. Mentions establishment of Border Security Command and increased funding for returns and enforcement.
Nick Timothy
Con
West Suffolk
Question
Asks the Home Secretary to provide a metric by which progress against criminal gangs can be judged.
Minister reply
Emphasises need to pursue criminal gang networks across Europe and beyond, highlighting recent arrests in Germany.
Gregor Poynton
Lab
Livingston
Question
Asks for assurance that agreement with Germany will lead to closing legal loopholes facilitating dangerous boat crossings.
Minister reply
Confirms agreement reached with Germany to strengthen laws against storing boats used in illegal crossings, disrupting supply chains of smuggling gangs.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
Asks about plans for de-proscribing organisations involved in Syria and measures to prevent money sent to Syria falling into wrong hands.
Minister reply
Stresses importance of safety and national security, noting that proscription decisions are taken based on evidence over time.
Jessica Toale
Lab
Bournemouth West
Question
Welcomes actions against migrant smuggling gangs but criticises reaction from Conservative Members for lack of seriousness about tackling illegal migration.
Minister reply
Agrees that previous Government left system out of control, highlighting high costs incurred and savings achieved through current measures.
Rupert Lowe
Ind
Great Yarmouth
Question
Asks the Home Secretary to consider securely detaining people who arrive illegally and deporting those illegal migrants who are damaging British interests.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the need to clear the backlog in the asylum system, mentions existing detention systems for both immigration and asylum cases. Highlights increased returns since the general election.
Jo White
Lab
Bassetlaw
Question
Queries whether the number of small boat arrivals has decreased compared to 2022 under the previous government.
Minister reply
Confirms that although the initial numbers were higher, they have since dropped significantly. Emphasises a need for comprehensive measures to tackle criminal gangs.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
Asks about the actions taken if identified individuals from Syria manage to enter Britain.
Minister reply
Reiterates that Home Office has powers to deny entry to those not conducive to public good, and mentions other security measures for threats to UK safety.
Peter Swallow
Lab
Bracknell
Question
Questions the message the new agreement sends to people smugglers and criminals.
Minister reply
Explains that the collaboration between law enforcement across borders aims at ensuring there will be no place for criminal gangs to hide.
John Cooper
Con
Dumfries and Galloway
Question
Requests proper language use regarding illegal immigration and inquires about agreements with countries to return individuals.
Minister reply
Affirms the need for comprehensive action, including increasing returns through new agreements or improving the existing system.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
Welcomes the Home Secretary’s statement and asks about discussions with Ireland regarding securing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Minister reply
States that close security co-operation exists under a common travel area agreement, and assures continued work with Irish Government to ensure effective system.
Shadow Comment
Chris Philp
Shadow Comment
Chris Philp welcomed the Home Secretary's statement on Syria but criticised her approach to border security as not delivering results, citing an 18% increase in illegal channel crossings since the election. He questioned the cancellation of the Rwanda deterrent programme and highlighted the increased use of asylum hotels contrary to Labour’s manifesto promises. Philp also noted a decrease in small boat returns under the new government, despite overall removals increasing slightly. Additionally, he challenged Cooper on voting against life sentences for people smugglers during her time in opposition.
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