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Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

Channel crossings, migration and asylum-seeking routes through the EU

Status: Closed Opened: 6 Aug 2020 Closed: 1 Feb 2024 15 recommendations 19 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry will examine the reasons behind the growth in migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. It will look at the role of criminal gangs in facilitating the growth of this form of illegal immigration and the response of UK and French authorities to combat illegal migration and support legal routes to asylum. …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - Channel crossings, migration and asylum HC 199 18 Jul 2022 34 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
31 Recommendation First Report - Channel crossings, migra… Deferred

Report outcomes of screening process review and actions taken on identified failures.

We invite the Government to report the outcomes of the review undertaken in response to the ICIBI’s recommendation on screening and induction processes, and its progress with actions arising from that review, in its response to this report. The Government should also learn the lessons of the specific screening failures …

Government response. The government refers the committee to an already published response regarding the ICIBI's report on screening and induction processes, and states it will report 'in due course' on progress against other ICIBI and HMIP recommendations.
Home Office
32 Recommendation First Report - Channel crossings, migra… Deferred

Explain measures improving communication on migrant capacity and agree minimum notice periods.

The Government must also explain what measures have been put in place to improve communication between Border Force and short-term holding facilities about their capacity to receive migrants. The Home Office should agree minimum notice periods for different numbers of arrivals at holding centres. (Paragraph 141) 48 Channel crossings, migration …

Government response. The government describes a transformed two-site operational model and increased staffing at facilities, but does not explicitly explain specific measures to improve communication between Border Force and holding facilities about capacity, or commit to agreeing minimum notice periods.
Home Office

Oral evidence sessions

10 sessions
Date Witnesses
17 Nov 2021 Catherine Frances · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Dan Hobbs · Home Office, Dan O'Mahoney · Home Office, Emma Haddad · Home Office, Tom Pursglove · Home Office, Victoria Atkins · Home Office View ↗
2 Dec 2020 Abi Tierney · HM Passport Office and UK Visas and Immigration, Abi Tierney · Home Office, Chris Philp · Home Office, Dan Hobbs · Home Office, Dan O'Mahoney · Home Office View ↗
25 Nov 2020 Dame Anne Owers · Independent monitoring boards, Dr Hindpal Singh Bui · HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Mary Molyneux · Brook House IRC Independent Monitoring Board, Paul Morrison · Mitie Care and Custody, Sarah Burnett · Serco View ↗
18 Nov 2020 Ainhoa Campas Velasco · University of Southampton, Alp Mehmet MVO · Migration Watch UK, David Blundell QC · Landmark Chambers, Dr Peter Walsh · Migration Observatory, Jill Rutter · British Future, Michelle Knorr · Doughty Street Chambers View ↗
11 Nov 2020 Frode Forfang · Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, Halvor Frihagen · Andersen & Bache-Wiig AS, Madeline Gleeson · University of New South Wales, Australia, Professor Natalie Klein · University of New South Wales, Australia View ↗
7 Oct 2020 Session View ↗
30 Sep 2020 Rossella Pagliuchi-Lor · United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Vincent Cochetel · United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) View ↗
16 Sep 2020 Beth Gardiner-Smith · Safe Passage UK, Maddy Allen · Help Refugees View ↗
9 Sep 2020 Jenny Coles · Association of Directors of Children’s Services, Roger Gough · The County Councils Network (CCN) View ↗
3 Sep 2020 Abi Tierney · Home Office, Dan O'Mahoney · Home Office, Robert Jones · National Crime Agency, Tyson Hepple · Home Office View ↗

Correspondence

12 letters
DateDirectionTitle
9 Feb 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Justice and Tackling Migration following his appea…
1 Dec 2021 To cttee Letter from Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration on private brie…
20 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from the Director General, UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office relatin…
13 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts on family re…
6 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts on changes t…
22 Dec 2020 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on family reunion arrangements following the UK's …
16 Dec 2020 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on the changes to the Immigration Rules, dated 11 …
15 Dec 2020 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts following th…
9 Dec 2020 From cttee Letter to the Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts on unaccompani…
14 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Home Secretary on Government proposals for processing of asylum…
7 Oct 2020 From cttee Letter to the National Chair of Independent Monitoring Boards on immigration re…
1 Oct 2020 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on Government proposals for processing of asylum s…