Contributions
2,121 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Border Security and AsylumThe right hon. Member makes an important point about what is happening in the Mediterranean, and about the pressures we have seen and the fact that, as the Prime Minister said in…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend is right, and I welcome her to her place in this House. I think what people in this country have always wanted is that combination of strong border security and a…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumI say to the hon. Member that no one should be making these dangerous journeys, and the criminal gangs are making massive profits from organising these boats. I just do not think…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumIf people have a right to be in the UK—if they have fled persecution and been granted refugee status, or they have come to be here on a visa through the normal processes—we will…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumI agree with the hon. Member that it is devastating that lives are being lost, including children’s. We have seen increasing violence from some of the gangs, crowding more people…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumThe hon. Member refers to an incident in the channel where there was co-operation between Border Force and the French authorities that also involved returning people to the French…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend makes a really important point. We need to clear the backlog—not just let it grow and grow, which is what the Conservatives were doing, but clear the backlog so…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend will know that there are long-standing arrangements for family reunion and for refugees. There are also different concerns that have been raised around Gaza,…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumThe hon. Gentleman obviously does not understand the system that his party and his Government put in place. All the people who are in the asylum system are staying there. Under…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend raises an important question. As well as a failure to tackle the criminal gangs taking hold along the channel, there has also been too much of a focus on gimmicks…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumAs I said in response to the hon. Member for Honiton and Sidmouth (Richard Foord), ensuring that the UK always does its bit to help those who have fled persecution is really…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumI welcome the hon. Member to his new post. He is right to talk about the importance of the UK doing its bit to help those who have fled persecution and conflict. It is why I…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend is right. We must tackle the illegal working and also the exploitation that can often drive a lot of what happens. That is why we are intensifying the immigration…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend makes a really important point. I welcome her to Parliament, and I welcome her asking questions on this issue. We have to take a strong, rigorous and robust…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumI welcome the shadow Home Secretary’s words about the dedication of Home Office officials and about the importance of work on national security. As he knows, when I was shadow…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMay I thank you, Mr Speaker, for standing up for the Opposition Front Benchers, as I know you have often done for me in the past? I apologise to the shadow Home Secretary for the…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumNo, I do not believe that is the right approach, because we need to make swift decisions and ensure that the rules are properly respected and enforced. I am concerned about…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumI thank my hon. Friend and welcome him to his position. I know that his Dover and Deal constituency has faced real pressures as a result of the criminal gangs and the small boat…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend is right. There are principles here about doing our bit to help those who have fled persecution while also ensuring that the rules are enforced so that people who…22 Jul 2024HANSARD Border Security and AsylumMy hon. Friend makes an important point, and I welcome him to his seat in Parliament. He is right that removals of failed asylum seekers have fallen by a third since 2010.…22 Jul 2024