Small Boat Crossings

Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab) and Damien Egan (Bristol North East) (Lab) asked the Home Secretary what steps her department is taking to tackle criminal gangs facilitating small boat crossings. In her response, the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, stating that the criminal smuggling and trafficking gangs organizing small boat crossings are undermining border security and putting lives at risk. She explained that the government has set up a new border security command, led by former police chief Martin Hewitt, to work with other countries to go after these gangs. Amanda Martin followed up, highlighting that organized crime extends beyond people smuggling, and asked the Home Secretary to expand on how the government is tackling the smuggling of drugs and dangerous weapons into ports. The Home Secretary reiterated that the border security command is tasked with addressing the wider threats to border security, including drug smuggling and organized crime. Damien Egan then asked the Home Secretary what reassurance she can give his constituents in Bristol North East that the action against criminal gangs is being backed up with measures to stop illegal working by people who do not have the right to work in the UK. The Home Secretary responded that the government has set up a major programme, including raids and increased work on returns and enforcement, to ensure the rules are being properly respected and enforced. Rupert Lowe (Great Yarmouth) (Reform) intervened, suggesting that it is time to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to restore the sovereignty of the UK's borders. The Home Secretary rejected this, stating that the purpose of the border security command is to strengthen border security through international cooperation, which would not be possible if the UK were to abandon international law. Finally, Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con) asked the Home Secretary if she is considering reopening hotels to house asylum seekers, and if she will commit to keeping the House informed about the methodology for choosing those hotels and ensuring that constituency Members are informed. The Home Secretary acknowledged the importance of informing constituency Members and stated that the government is working to clear the asylum backlog and end the use of hotels, though this will take time due to the scale of the problem they inherited.