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Illegal Migration
24 October 2023
Lead MP
Robert Jenrick
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Asylum & RefugeesMigrants & BordersTaxationEmployment
Other Contributors: 40
At a Glance
Robert Jenrick raised concerns about illegal migration 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
The Government have made it their top priority to stop illegal migration through small boats crossing the channel, focusing on both international cooperation and domestic measures. They have doubled funds for the National Crime Agency's organised immigration crime work and signed agreements with Belgium, Bulgaria, Serbia, Italy, and Turkey to disrupt smuggling operations abroad. At home, they are increasing removals of those without a right to stay in the UK by more than 75%, with over 4,100 Albanian offenders returned since December. They have also enhanced penalties for employers and landlords who hire or rent to illegal migrants, leading to a significant increase in enforcement raids and fines. The number of small boat arrivals has decreased by over one-fifth compared to the previous year despite favourable weather conditions. The Government plans to exit asylum hotels and reduce reliance on hotel accommodation, aiming to complete this process by January 2024.
Stephen Kinnock
Lab
Aberavon Maesteg
Question
The MP questions the Minister's claims about reducing hotel use, suggesting that the Government’s plans are insufficient and misleading. He also inquires whether the hotels planned for closure are located in marginal constituencies to influence election outcomes.
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges the reduction of hotel usage but does not provide specific details on which hotels will be closed or their locations.
Stephen Kinnock
Lab
Aberavon
Question
The MP criticised the Government's response to small boat crossings and asylum accommodation issues. He highlighted increases in crossing numbers and costs of emergency hotels, arguing that the Government’s plan was ineffective and lacked ambition.
Minister reply
The Minister responded by denying claims about weather influence on migration patterns and defending the effectiveness of current policies such as the Rwanda partnership and increased returns. He criticised Labour's lack of clear strategy.
Damian Green
Con
Ashford
Question
Praised the Minister for successes outlined in his statement, asked about future resources to prevent new backlogs.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged progress on clearing the backlog and increasing caseworker numbers but emphasised the importance of deterrence over granting asylum. He highlighted ongoing efforts to address illegal migration.
Chris Stephens
SNP
Glasgow South West
Question
Asked about a contract signed with a Glasgow hotel for asylum accommodation, discussed supporting successful refugees leaving hotels and costs associated with the new system.
Minister reply
The Minister agreed to meet with Chris Stephens regarding Glasgow’s situation. He disagreed that Brexit negatively affected migration control but confirmed willingness to discuss cooperation with European partners.
Bill Cash
Con
Stone
Question
Complimented the Home Secretary and Minister on progress made, asked about discussions with France regarding reform of human rights acts.
Minister reply
The Minister confirmed ongoing efforts to discuss reforms in international frameworks like the European convention on human rights and refugee conventions. He highlighted the need for serious reform to address modern migration challenges.
Diana R. Johnson
Lab
Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Question
At the Public Accounts Committee in July, Home Office officials told me that the Government were paying for 5,000 empty hotel beds as a buffer in case of an upsurge in people travelling across the channel. Could the Minister update the House on how many empty hotel beds the Government are currently paying for?
Minister reply
I would hope the right hon. Lady welcomes today’s news that, as a result of the good progress we have made on reducing small boat crossings, we are now in a position to begin closing those hotels.
John Hayes
Con
South Holland and The Deepings
Question
The Minister and the Home Secretary are to be commended for their crusade against devilish people smugglers, dodgy lawyers and deluded interest groups, but will he acknowledge that the bar needs to be raised for asylum applications? Far more applicants are granted asylum in this country than the European average. The standard of proof needs to be improved.
Minister reply
I strongly agree with my right hon. Friend. The Home Secretary and I are driven by two ambitions that must come together: efficiency in the system, and rigour and integrity.
Question
The Minister has heard me say before that the use of hotels serves nobody. It does not serve the taxpayer, it does not serve local communities and it certainly does not serve those people seeking refuge in this country, so the fact the hotels are to be stopped is good news. Can he give me some indication of where the hotel in Knowsley fits into his timetable?
Minister reply
I am grateful for the work that the right hon. Gentleman and I have done on this issue, particularly on the very serious events that took place at the hotel he mentions.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Question
I thank my right hon. Friend for his robust and confident statement, and for the significant progress he has been able to report to the House today. Can he also confirm that the hotel on the A12 near Langham in my Harwich and North Essex constituency is one of those that will no longer be used for asylum seekers?
Minister reply
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. The Home Office has a long-standing policy of not naming the hotels wherever possible, but I can say that a hotel in his constituency is part of the first tranche of closures.
Richard Foord
Lib Dem
Honiton and Sidmouth
Question
The Liberal Democrats submitted a freedom of information request to the Home Office to ask about the cost of the Bibby Stockholm. We asked about the cost to taxpayers of buying the barge, as well as the estimated cost of running it over the next 12 months. The cost is estimated at £20 million a year, which is well over £300,000 a week. Why has the Home Office refused to put this information in the public domain?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is essentially a humanitarian nimby. He comes to the House to say that we should be a welcoming nation and invite more people here, but he does not want to face up to the consequences of where those people should be housed.
Question
I assure Members that the sun often shines on our blessed corner of Kent. Indeed, we have had a heatwave on one or two occasions this year, so let us not have any more of this weather nonsense. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his update.
Minister reply
I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to all those who work at our facilities in Dover and on the south coast.
Hayes and Harlington
Question
It is important, as we develop policy, to try to identify issues that might come up further down the line. In my constituency, large numbers of asylum seekers are being processed—I congratulate him on that.
Minister reply
That is of concern to me and the Home Secretary. We are aware of abuse in some of our communities, and we work closely with immigration enforcement and other agencies to try to bear down on it.
Question
My right hon. Friend knows from the Adjournment debate we had and our correspondence over the summer the extent to which illegal migration is an issue in my constituency.
Minister reply
As we make more progress on stopping the boats, so we will make more progress on closing the hotels.
Question
Unlike many Conservative Members, I am glad that the United Kingdom remains a signatory to the European convention on human rights. That means that refugees and asylum seekers who come to the UK have exactly the same rights as each of us in this House.
Minister reply
We take seriously our obligations to treat anyone in our care with dignity and compassion, and when we or our providers fall below that standard, it is right that we take action against those involved.
Vicky Ford
Con
Chelmsford
Question
My constituents have welcomed Ukrainians and Hong Kong Chinese into their homes, but the pressure on local schools and housing from asylum seekers is significant. Chelmsford is not on the list for housing assistance despite having over 400 new arrivals since early summer. Will the Minister work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to address this?
Minister reply
The right hon. Friend has been assiduous in raising concerns about the particular hotel in her constituency.
Stella Creasy
Lab/Co-op
Walthamstow
Question
Further to that response, the Minister talks about planning between the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, but I wonder what experience he has of the London private rental market. In my constituency, refugees who have been granted asylum are being kicked out of their hotels by the Home Office contractor within a week.
Minister reply
First the hon. Lady wanted us to clear the backlog; now she does not want us to do that because of the consequences of clearing it. Perhaps it would be better if she just supported us in trying to stop illegal migrants coming to the country in the first place. On her specific points, it is not correct that the Home Office gives seven days’ notice; it gives 28.
Jack Brereton
Con
Stoke-on-Trent North
Question
I am pleased that the Minister has kept to his commitment that the North Stafford Hotel in Stoke-on-Trent will be one of the first to close. That is happening only because of the Government’s work to tackle illegal migration and stop the boats. Does my right hon. Friend agree that areas such as Stoke-on-Trent, which have done more than their fair share of contributing, should not continue to see more asylum seekers?
Minister reply
I am delighted that the hotel to which my hon. Friend refers is in the first tranche. He and I visited it with his colleagues from Stoke, and it was clearly a classic case of why we should not use such hotels.
Patrick Grady
SNP
Glasgow South
Question
I think that the Minister recognises the acute pressures that local authorities could face when asylum seekers who are rapidly granted status move out of hotels, then risk becoming homeless. He said that he will meet my hon. Friend to discuss the situation in Glasgow. Will he extend that invitation to the leader of the city council and other stakeholders, to ensure that Glasgow and other local authorities are properly supported?
Minister reply
It will be an interesting conversation with the leader of Glasgow City Council, because as I recall the council does not want to take any more of our refugees. It put out a statement saying it would not use a barge, even though Glasgow had itself used a barge for Ukrainian refugees.
Kevin Foster
Con
Torbay
Question
Having stood at that Dispatch Box myself discussing this sort of subject, I imagine my right hon. Friend is much happier to come to the House with today’s statement than with some of the things we sometimes end up having to discuss. Can he assure me that we will pursue measures such as Greek-style accommodation centres and ensure an adequate supply of dispersed accommodation, fairly distributed across the United Kingdom?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is absolutely right that we need a fair and equitable system. That is why he contributed to the creation of the national dispersal model, which we continue to pursue.
Alex Cunningham
Lab
Stockton North
Question
The Minister is very selective with his dodgy statistics, but what I would like to know is whether he is still planning to site an accommodation barge on Teesside.
Minister reply
We are always looking for further locations, but we do not currently have any agreement with ports in Teesside.
Jo Gideon
Con
Stoke-on-Trent South
Question
I thank my right hon. Friend for the work he has done to bring down the number of boat crossings and to speed up people being sent back. I am grateful that it is one of the 50.
Minister reply
I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s kind words and for the leadership she has shown in arguing on behalf of her constituents for that migrant hotel to close.
Stephen Farry
SDLP
North Down
Question
The UK has taken fewer asylum seekers per head than most other European countries. The UK has been shaped and reshaped by successive waves of immigration over the centuries. Most of the asylum seekers I have spoken to want to contribute to society, they want to work and they want to integrate. Does the Minister recognise the dangerous, slippery-slope implications of some of the rhetoric he is using?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is not correct in his presentation that the UK is less generous than other European countries. Statistics are hard to compare, because we are a destination country.
Eddie Hughes
Con
Wrecsam
Question
The strain on public services caused by illegal migration is often felt the most by smaller towns, so may I ask my right hon. Friend to make such areas the focus of his efforts to close migrant hotels in the future?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes an important point. It is undoubtedly true that communities with fewer hotels have fewer public services.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I welcome the Minister’s statement and his determination to deliver solutions. Will the Minister clarify whether cutting costly hotel bills means sending unsuccessful applicants somewhere else, and if so, where they are going? Local women and children will be prioritised in housing over any young, healthy, single illegal migrant male.
Minister reply
I share my hon. Friend’s sentiment and conviction. Of course we should be a decent, generous and compassionate country to those coming here from places of peril.
Siobhan Baillie
Con
Stroud
Question
Thanks the Minister for addressing Stroud’s concerns about illegal migration and speeding up hotel closures. Asks when more information on closures will be provided, and confirms local council involvement in any future closures.
Minister reply
Appreciates Baillie's work and commitment to the issue; writes to all MPs and councils within 1-2 days regarding initial closure plans and considers further tranches as progress is made.
Matt Warman
Con
Skegness
Question
Welcomes hotel closures in Skegness but requests swift return of hotels to commercial use to mitigate economic impact.
Minister reply
Pleased with closure progress; works closely with local councils and hoteliers on reopening plans. Hotels operate on staggered notice periods for preparation.
Philip Hollobone
Con
Kettering
Question
Inquires about the timeline to close Rothwell House Hotel in his constituency.
Minister reply
Acknowledges progress made and reiterates commitment to further closures as more small boats are stopped.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
Compliments the Minister on progress, inquires about handling of individuals from France who might seek asylum in Britain if French policies become stricter.
Minister reply
Affirms ongoing cooperation with France; highlights proactive measures like canal barriers that have helped reduce small boat crossings.
Maggie Throup
Con
Erewash
Question
Requests confirmation of priority for closing two hotels in Sandiacre.
Minister reply
Confirms commitment to hotel closures and will communicate further details shortly, offering continued engagement.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Question
Welcomes statement; emphasises open stance on legal migration while tackling illegal routes. Asks about addressing push factors in North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Minister reply
Details efforts to work with African countries on organised immigration, crime, border security, and foreign aid allocation.
Alec Shelbrooke
Con
Wetherby and Easingwold
Question
Confirms non-use of local hotels for asylum seekers; inquires about future plans regarding military base at Linton-on-Ouse.
Minister reply
Reassures no plan to use the site at Linton-on-Ouse; confirms writing to MPs and councils regarding hotel closure timelines.
Jill Mortimer
Con
Redcar
Question
Asks for reassurance on revoking status of those found guilty of lawbreaking, racial hate, and violence.
Minister reply
Confirms visa revocation process is underway; writes to chief constables inviting them to report cases.
David Simmonds
Con
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Question
Highlights large numbers of people in northern France awaiting small boat crossings. Inquires about further work with French authorities.
Minister reply
Acknowledges French efforts; plans to deepen cooperation particularly around Dunkirk area.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
I very much welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, particularly the news that there has been a significant reduction in boats and that the first 50 hotels will close, including the Best Western in Buckingham. May I ask him to confirm that this hotel will definitely close on 23 November as stated in his letter?
Minister reply
Absolutely. The letter he received confirms that the hotel will close on 23 November and cannot be delayed.
Question
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his work to stop boats once and for all. What is being done with our law enforcement agencies to tackle the production of crafts used by smugglers in places like Turkey and north Africa?
Minister reply
We have worked closely with the National Crime Agency, Border Force, security services and allies such as Turkey to sign important agreements over the summer.
Question
The Minister deserves credit for his work on this issue. When constituents see men living in a four-star hotel without paying anything while struggling with bills and food, it strikes at fairness. Should those who used to work in these hotels be offered their jobs back on better terms?
Minister reply
We should not elevate the interests of illegal migrants over local communities. We want to close more such hotels across the country.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
Question
Will the Minister consider putting a list in the Library showing the names of closed hotels? When will the consultation on capping illegal migrants finish, so we can manage demand?
Minister reply
We will not publish hotel lists due to police advice. The Illegal Migration Act 2023 legislates for caps and we will shortly publish the consultation.
Ben Spencer
Con
Runnymede and Weybridge
Question
We need stable, cost-effective accommodation that meets asylum seekers' needs. Will the Minister meet me and Runnymede Borough Council leader to discuss alternative proposals?
Minister reply
I would be pleased to do so. We have an open offer for local authorities with better ideas to work directly with them.
Question
Congratulations on ending the use of asylum hotels and closing one in Stoke-on-Trent as requested by my petition. When will the other hotel face closure?
Minister reply
No one has fought harder to end asylum hotels than my hon. Friend. We are stopping the boats, but there is still a long way to go.
Shadow Comment
Stephen Kinnock
Shadow Comment
The Labour Party criticises the current government's approach as chaotic and ineffective. They note that despite the Conservative promise to stop boats, over 25,000 people crossed in small boats this year at an enormous cost to taxpayers. The asylum backlog remains at 176,000 cases, with removals down 70% since Labour's last term. Criticisms include the Rwanda plan's lack of effectiveness and the high costs associated with hotel use for asylum seekers. Labour proposes a more ambitious strategy involving increased caseworkers to clear backlogs, stricter anti-smuggling measures, and reforms to fix the broken asylum system.
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