VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Asked by Sarah PochinReform UKHome OfficeTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 25903

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of arrangements for conducting security checks on people arriving by small boat.

Answered by Home Office

The Government continues to strengthen its border security capabilities and processes to ensure that security checks remain effective, proportionate and responsive to evolving threats.

The Home Office checks all small boat arrivals against a range of secure systems. Biometrics and biographic details are taken and checked against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases, including domestic and international data to establish whether the person is a threat to public safety.

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