Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Channel Crossings: Military Assets

Monday 8 September 2025 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Peter Bedford asked the Minister to consider using military assets to stop illegal crossings in the English Channel.
  • Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi thanked the Minister for logistical support but did not feel operational responsibility should fall to the armed forces.
  • The Minister referred to Operation Isotrope, a military operation under the previous Conservative Government aimed at securing the English Channel.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Peter Bedford Con Mid Leicestershire
Migrants & Borders Defence
Context

The MP references the national security risk posed by illegal migrants crossing the English Channel and the need for physical measures to stop small boats from landing.

Question

Given the national security risk posed by some of those who cross the English channel illegally, I ask the Minister to look again at using military assets to physically stop those small boats from landing in the first place. Will he do that today?

Answer from Luke Pollard (Minister of State, Ministry of Defence)

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question and I share his passion for keeping our country safe. However, I refer him to the work of Operation Isotrope, a military operation undertaken by the last Conservative Government that put the Navy in charge of securing the English channel. That operation concluded that naval assets were not suitable for stopping small boats; it is already a dangerous crossing and using military assets only made it more dangerous. The armed forces are now assisting the Home Office and Border Security Command, looking at how we can provide accommodation to close asylum hotels and speed up the processing of asylum applications.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to reconsider use of military assets

How: Referencing Previous Government'S Work

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Q2 Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Lab Slough
Migrants & Borders Defence
Context

The MP mentions the MOD's consideration of using military barracks for housing asylum seekers, citing concerns about operational responsibility falling to armed forces after previous criticisms during Operation Isotrope.

Question

While I thank him for his efforts to help address the small boats crisis by providing logistical planning support, I personally do not feel that operational responsibility for that should fall to our armed forces. The experience of Operation Isotrope under the Boris Johnson Government—widely criticised by the previous Defence Committee for causing confusion and reputational risk and for straining our already pressured military—serves as a clear warning. Can the Minister therefore issue iron-clad assurances to the House that any future MOD involvement within this field will be strictly limited, clearly defined and not strain our already pressured military?

Answer from Luke Pollard (Minister of State, Ministry of Defence)

I thank the Chair of the Select Committee for his question. The Ministry of Defence is part of the cross-Government response to small boats. We are stepping up our support to assist our colleagues in the Home Office. The Home Office remains the lead Department, but every Department can contribute something to this effort and it is right that the Ministry of Defence does so. We continue to protect the nation and deliver the changes as laid out in the strategic defence review.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to strict limitations on MOD involvement

How: Stating Mod'S Role But Not Providing Assurances

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