Contributions
1,139 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI have answered this question, but for repetition’s sake, I will say that I set out all the details in the letter of 19 October. None of those emails was forwarded to anyone else.…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI thank my hon. Friend for his observations. Ultimately, he is right. We need to be straight with people. There is an influx, an unprecedented number of people coming to this…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresAs far as I am aware, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are not routinely detained at Manston, but what I will say is that a number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI think my hon. Friend is right. We need to call out the misrepresentation of this problem. It is not the case that these are all refugees fleeing persecution, war-torn countries,…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI am very clear that we have too many people at Manston, as of today, as we have done for some time now. That is why we are taking urgent steps to remedy the problem.31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresAs I have said, I am very concerned about how we accommodate people who are waiting for their asylum claims to be processed. We need to bear down on that backlog so they are not…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresAs my hon. Friend will know, one of the promises in the 2019 manifesto was to reduce overall numbers when it came to migration, and also to fix the problem of illegal migration.…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresOf course, I am not going to comment on the particular details of this case. It is a very sad case and a very worrying case, and I am very concerned about the safety and security…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresWe have to ensure that our asylum laws are fit for purpose. Some great achievements have been secured by the passage of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and they are going to…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresAs I have said—and I will reiterate it again and again—I am very grateful for the brilliant response from the emergency services, the authorities and everyone at Western Jet Foil…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresMy hon. Friend has raised an important point. The fact is that we are receiving an unprecedented number of people coming into this country, many of whom are coming illegally. They…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI would be very glad for my right hon. Friend the Minister for Immigration to meet the hon. Lady to discuss the issue in detail. My review is looking into the process of…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI thank my hon. Friend for raising the point. Let me say two things. First, the Prime Minister is absolutely committed to fixing this problem. I have no doubt whatever about his…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI am very pleased to repeat for the record that since 6 September, under my watch, over 30 new hotels have been agreed. They will provide over 4,500 additional bed spaces to be…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresYes, I appreciate the seriousness of the issue. It has been my No. 1 priority since September. It is unacceptable that we are spending £6 million a day on hotel accommodation for…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI am very clear about what this Government’s priority is. It is about tackling the scourge of illegal migration, taking a firm line, changing the law where our laws are being…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresMy hon. Friend is right. The Labour party does not have any solutions to the problem, so it would rather spend airtime on a distraction. That is what this is all about. Yes, we…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresI refer the hon. Gentleman to the letter I sent today, in which I have been very fulsome in the details of the circumstance of 19 October. I have apologised for the error and…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresAs I have made clear, I am very willing to apologise for mistakes that I have made, but what I am not willing to do is apologise for things that I have not done. As I have said,…31 Oct 2022HANSARDWestern Jet Foil and Manston Asylum Processing CentresUltimately, we need to bear down on the asylum backlog so that fewer people are in the UK waiting for a decision. We also need to stop the use of hotels at £6 million a night.31 Oct 2022