House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Immigration Removal Centre Contracts

Monday 17 November 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

Home Office announced plans to reopen Campsfield House immigration removal centre in June 2024.
Government claims to have deported over 50,000 people without right to be in UK since coming to power.
Minister agrees previous Government's decision to stop assessing asylum applications led to current issues.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Calum Miller Lib Dem Bicester and Woodstock

Immigration

Context

The constituent concern about the Home Office's decision to reopen Campsfield House immigration removal centre without proper tendering process during parliamentary recess. The first contract announcement was in June 2024, followed by an expansion plan announced in August.

Question

My constituents are very concerned about the Home Office’s race to reopen the Campsfield House immigration removal centre. The first contract for opening the centre was announced in June 2024, when this House was not sitting. The then Home Secretary announced that she intended to expand the facility in August 2024, when again the House was not sitting. I believe that contract has not yet been tendered. Will the Minister please provide my constituents with some reassurance that Ministers are not just racing to make announcements about this ahead of real need and in order to catch a headline, but are actually serious about using taxpayers’ money in an appropriate manner to look after and contain these issues?

Answer from The Minister for Border Security and Asylum (Alex Norris)

'Real need' is a very important phrase. The reality is that over this Government’s time in office, we have deported over 50,000 people who have no right to be here—the best period of time in 10 years in this regard. We do need that detention capacity. Things are moving at Campsfield, so perhaps I should meet the hon. Gentleman to give him a full brief on our plans there.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide concrete assurances or details about the tendering process for the contracts of immigration removal centres.

How: Changing The Subject

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Q2 Chris Vince Labour (Co-op) Harlow

Asylum & Refugees

Context

The previous government's decision to stop assessing asylum applications, which led to a 70% drop in decisions. The current government is facing the consequences of this legacy.

Question

I thank the Minister for his previous answer. Does he agree that the main cause for the asylum backlog was the fact that, under the previous Government, decisions fell by 70%? What reassurance can he give my constituents in Harlow that this Government will tackle the issue we have inherited?

Answer from The Minister for Border Security and Asylum (Alex Norris)

I totally agree. The original sin in respect of what we are dealing with today—hotel use across the country and our pivot to military sites—was the choice of the previous Government to simply stop assessing applications. We are of course reversing that, but it is taking time to turn around their failure.