One of the issues which is frequently raised with me by Crawley residents is the action being taken to stop dangerous and illegal English Channel small boat crossings.
I have been clear that such routes are unfair and unjust as they place a tremendous burden on hard-working taxpayers. Such crossings are an affront to those who come to this country legally, they put in danger the lives of those making such crossings, and those undertaking such journeys are paying evil people smugglers as they continue their barbarous trade in human lives.
Indeed, more than 45,000 people made such journeys last year, with many individuals originating from or travelling through safe countries.
The Illegal Migration Act 2023 has been passed by Parliament and received royal assent last month.
This legislation places a legal duty on the Home Secretary to remove illegal migrants: for the first time, the Government will have no choice but to remove anyone arriving here illegally to their home country if it is safe, or a safe third country.
The Act also increases powers to detain and swiftly remove illegal migrants, with detention for those arriving illegally for 28 days, potentially longer if there is a reasonable prospect of removal.
I am acutely aware of the frustration throughout our community on this issue. Recently in the Commons I questioned the Home Secretary over the work of the security services alongside UK Border Force to identify those entering Britain through such routes.
This country is known throughout the world for our sense of compassion and fair play. Since 2015, sanctuary has been offered to more than 450,000 people through our global safe and legal routes. An annual cap will be set for the number of refugees and Government have confirmed this will be set by Parliament, in consultation with local authorities, when illegal migration is under control.
While we know that the majority of lawyers act with professionalism, there are concerns over a minority reportedly helping illegal migrants stay in Britain by encouraging them to make false claims.
A Professional Enablers Taskforce is bringing together regulatory bodies, law enforcement teams and Government departments to increase enforcement action against such lawyers who help migrants exploit the immigration system.
The Taskforce was launched officially a fortnight ago, following months of preliminary work including on tackling immigration abuse in the legal sector, and enhancing intelligence and information sharing by regulators.
Additional action to stop such crossings and save lives will take place through improved working between the National Crime Agency, Government, and social media companies who will clamp down further on tactics used by criminal gangs.
Henry Smith MP
