Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Illegal Cross-channel Movements: Discussions with French Counterpart

Monday 14 November 2022 · 8 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Home Secretary had discussions with French counterpart to agree on a new joint strategy to reduce illegal cross-channel movements.
  • Home Secretary acknowledges the agreement is a step forward but not a silver bullet to solve the problem immediately.
  • Increase in French gendarmes patrolling French beaches by 40% is highlighted as a success in the new agreement.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Michael Fabricant Con
Immigration Migrants & Borders
Context

The MP notes discussions with French counterpart to reduce illegal migration. He acknowledges previous efforts but seeks clarity on effectiveness.

Question

What recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on illegal cross-channel movements?

Answer from Suella Braverman

The Prime Minister and I are committed to reducing dangerous illegal migration into the UK, which is why I was in Paris today with my French counterpart, Gérald Darmanin, to agree a new joint strategy and operational plan, which will drive forward our next phase of co-operation and make this route unviable eventually.

Answered
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Q2 Michael Fabricant Con
Migrants & Borders Community Security
Context

The MP acknowledges the agreement but notes limitations. He seeks clarification on whether it will be a game changer.

Question

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on her agreement in Paris today but, as she herself has said, there is no silver bullet. Given that there are so many hundreds of miles of French coastline to be policed, will this agreement be a game changer?

Answer from Suella Braverman

As my hon. Friend says, on its own, this agreement will not fix the problem—it is important that everyone is clear about that. However, I am very proud of the co-operation that the UK and France have led in recent years. This deal represents a step change and a big step forward in our joint challenge. For the first time under this new integrated approach, UK officers will join law enforcement colleagues in France as embedded observers to share real-time information relating to small boats. The deal will include significant investment in intelligence capability and information sharing that all agencies will use, including the National Crime Agency and Europol.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Not a direct answer as it does not specifically confirm if the agreement is a game changer, only states it's a step forward

How: Will Drive Forward Our Next Phase Of Co-Operation

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Q3 Diana R. Johnson Lab Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Asylum & Refugees
Context

The MP references the Home Affairs Committee's report which made several recommendations, including securing an agreement with EU for return of failed asylum seekers and piloting provision of initial UK asylum applications at French reception centres.

Question

Of course, it is the fifth announcement on arrangements with the French in four years, and there is not a single one thing that will solve this problem. That is why we made a series of recommendations, including: securing an agreement with the EU on the return of failed asylum seekers; and piloting the provision of initial UK asylum applications at facilities within French reception centres. Will the Home Secretary look again at the whole suite of recommendations that the Select Committee made after two years of looking at this subject?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I read with interest the report from the Select Committee, which makes several important points about greater collaboration and deeper co-operation with our friends in France. Last year our joint efforts saw more than 23,000 dangerous and unnecessary crossings prevented, and this year to date more than 30,000 crossing attempts have been stopped by the French. Joint working has also resulted in the dismantling of 55 organised crime groups and secured more than 500 arrests since its inception in 2020.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to reviewing or implementing recommendations, only mentioned past efforts

How: I Read With Interest

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Q4 Natalie Elphicke
Migrants & Borders
Context

The MP notes the modest French agreement and its impact. She seeks a meeting with Home Secretary to discuss urgent issues.

Question

Regrettably, the modest French agreement falls short of what is needed to address the scale, impact and urgency of the channel crossings issue. We do not need more observation—we need action taken on the French side. Even today, as the ink dried on this new deal, small boats crept through the sea-mist and one even landed on a beach in a residential coastal village in my constituency. Will my right hon. Friend meet me and Kent leaders to discuss the dreadful impact on local services, which they described in a letter to her two weeks ago as being at breaking point?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I thank my hon. Friend for all her work on this issue over several years. As I said, I am not going to overplay this agreement. It is an important step forward and provides a good platform on which to secure deeper collaboration, and it represents progress. For the first time, UK officers will be on the ground in France, working hand in hand with their French counterparts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to meeting or addressing specific concerns of local services

How: I Am Not Going To Overplay This Agreement

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Q5 Diane Abbott Lab Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Migrants & Borders
Context

The MP questions the effectiveness of the Home Secretary's announcement without providing concrete evidence.

Question

The Home Secretary insists that the agreement announced today represents a step forward, but is she able to tell the House whether it will mean fewer small boats crossing the channel?

Answer from Suella Braverman

A large win from the agreement is that there will be more French gendarmes patrolling the French beaches. There is a 40% uplift to the number of personnel that the French are deploying. That must be a success, and I encourage the right hon. Lady to welcome it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly address if this would reduce crossings only mentioned more patrols.

How: Must Be A Success

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Q6 Yvette Cooper Lab Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Migrants & Borders
Context

The MP criticizes the lack of scrutiny on the deal and questions the Government's effectiveness in tackling organized crime.

Question

It is astonishing that the Home Secretary has not made an oral statement on this subject, given the number of people who want to ask questions. She is preventing full scrutiny of this deal. Could that be because her written statement admits that there have been only 140 smuggling-related convictions across all of Britain and France in 35 months? Can she confirm that that means there have been on average just four convictions a month for those dangerous crimes, even though last month alone nearly 7,000 people arrived in the UK as a result of organised criminals profiting from putting lives at risk? Why is the Government's action against criminal smuggler gangs so pitifully weak?

Answer from Suella Braverman

Why is the Government's action so pitifully weak? We introduced legislation—an extensive Bill designed specifically to deal with the problem occurring on our shores—and on every occasion, what did Labour Members do? They voted against it. If they were really serious about solving this problem, they would be supporting our proposals, not carping from the sidelines.

Not addressed: Did not address effectiveness of current actions or provide new commitments

How: They Voted Against It

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Q7 Yvette Cooper Lab Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Immigration Migrants & Borders
Context

Former chief constables have warned that the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 makes it harder to prosecute people traffickers. It also adds six-month delays to the asylum system, increasing costs.

Question

That is a totally nonsense answer. The Home Secretary obviously is not aware that former chief constables have warned that her Nationality and Borders Act 2022 makes it harder to prosecute people traffickers, and that in fact it is adding six-month delays to the asylum system and pushing up the costs.

Answer from Suella Braverman

Of course we need to go further and faster in the fight against illegal migration. I am very disappointed and concerned by the unprecedented numbers of people arriving here illegally. We are taking steps to fix it. The reality is, as I said, that this year alone more than 30,000 attempts have been prevented by the French. I have come back today from securing a deal that will increase the number of French patrols on the French coastline, which will reinforce our collaboration and intelligence work and strengthen our joint fight.

Not addressed: The specific ask about expanding specialist officers in the National Crime Agency was not addressed

How: Criticising Labour'S Migration Policy, Complaining About Scottish Asylum Share

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Q8 Stuart McDonald SNP
Immigration Migrants & Borders
Context

Previous deals were signed in 2010, 2014, '15, '16, '18, '19, '20 and, indeed, '21.

Question

Of course, we all welcome closer co-operation with the French, but the Home Secretary is absolutely right to temper her expectations given that previous deals were signed in 2010, 2014, '15, '16, '18, '19, '20 and, indeed, '21. What discussions has she had with the French about safe legal routes for those with clear links to the United Kingdom, linked if necessary with an appropriate returns agreement?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I am not going to repeat myself, but I think the deal is a good step forward and a great platform from which to build deeper co-operation. I say gently to the hon. Gentleman that his question would have much more credibility if Scotland stepped up further and took a better share of those who come here seeking refuge and asylum.

Not addressed: The specific ask about safe legal routes was not addressed

How: Criticising Scottish Asylum Policy

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