Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department’s policies on organised immigration crime on trends in the number of migrants that have arrived in small boats since 1 January 2025.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
The Border Security Command (BSC) continues to focus on tackling the organised immigration crime gangs that are facilitating small boat crossings, working with domestic partners such as the National Crime Agency, and overseas counterparts in a range of countries, to dismantle the gangs and disrupt their supply chains. This work has already led to a number of widely publicised raids and arrests, as well as agreements with France, Germany, Italy, Iraq and other key partners which will increase enforcement activity and cooperation further over the coming months.
The Home Office will shortly publish an official statistical note analysing the impact of weather conditions in the Channel on the level of small boat arrivals in recent years, including since 1 January 2025. That analysis will reinforce the commitment of this Government to tackle the smuggling gangs at every level, and disrupt their ability to exploit good weather conditions in future to undermine our border security.
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