December 2023
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about tackling illegal immigration.
I welcome that the Government has made stopping the boats its top priority. The journeys are illegal, dangerous and unnecessary. I believe they are unfair on those who are genuinely in need of resettlement, as the country's finite capacity is taken up by people coming to the UK from a place of safety in France. Further, it is unfair on the British public due to the impact it has on public services.
As such, I welcome that the Government has developed what is among the most comprehensive and robust plans to tackle illegal migration in Europe which the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary are committed to delivering. I am aware that to tackle the people smuggling gangs the Government has doubled the funds for the organised immigration crime work of the National Crime Agency. The Prime Minister also recently attended a meeting of the European Political Community where he announced new, tailored initiatives with Belgium, Bulgaria and Serbia, which build on the strategic partnerships already agreed with Italy and Turkey. I am glad in recent months new physical barriers have been installed in France to make it considerably harder for flimsy dinghies to be launched.
The Government is making significant progress in reducing the number of people coming to the country illegally. I welcome that since December 2022 the Government has returned more than 4,100 Albanian immigration offenders, with some individuals being returned home in as little as two days. Further, small boat arrivals are down by a third compared to last year.
Further, the Government is making progress to ensure that the Rwanda scheme can go ahead. The Home Secretary has signed a joint treaty with his Rwandan counterpart to strengthen the UK and Rwanda's Migration and Economic Development Partnership directly addressing the concerns of the Supreme Court. The agreement is part of the Government’s plan to ensure that illegal migrants can be lawfully relocated to Rwanda under the Government’s ambition to stop the boats – ensuring that people know that if they come to the UK illegally, they cannot stay here.
I can assure you that the Government will not waver on its commitment to the public to stop the boats and that solid progress is being made. The Government will continue to act in the interests of the law-abiding majority who expect and deserve secure borders.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Best wishes,
Angela Richardson MP
Member of Parliament for Guildford, Cranleigh and our villages