Jonathan Hinder MP Column
This week, I’m focusing on how this Government is taking decisive action to tackle illegal immigration - securing our borders, cracking down on smuggling gangs, and fixing the broken system left behind by the Conservatives.
How this Government is taking decisive action on illegal immigration
At the end of last year, I wrote about how the Labour Government is taking action to bring down legal migration by reducing our reliance on overseas workers. This week, I am focusing on illegal migration and the strong action the Government is taking to tackle small boat crossings and crack down on smuggling gangs.
We all know that the scale of illegal migration had spiralled out of control under the Conservatives, and when Labour took office, the situation was dire. Record small boat crossings, with over 13,000 arrivals in the first half of 2024 alone, and a broken asylum system costing taxpayers £8 million a day on hotel accommodation. Their much-championed Rwanda scheme had achieved nothing, costing over £700 million to send just four volunteers there while millions more was wasted on planning to expand the failed policy.
At the heart of this problem are smuggling gangs, profiteering from taking advantage of desperate people and putting lives at risk in dangerous Channel crossings. Tackling these gangs and securing our borders is essential for restoring order to the system.
And that is exactly what this Labour Government is doing. Since coming to power, Labour has scrapped the unworkable Rwanda scheme and redirected that money into a serious plan to secure our borders and restore public confidence in the immigration system.
In just six months, the Labour Government has achieved the highest number of illegal migrant removals in five years, deporting over 16,400 individuals with no legal right to stay. The Government has also established the Border Security Command, a specialist unit targeting smuggling gangs and working with international partners to dismantle their operations.
UK law enforcement is working with foreign agencies to strengthen interceptions to stop boats before they even reach the Channel, and agreements with countries like Germany and Iraq are dismantling criminal networks. Just recently, the Government, working with international partners, coordinated the arrest of a Turkish national suspected of supplying hundreds of small boats and engines to gangs in northern France. This operation shows how our focus on international cooperation is delivering results. Each successful action like this makes it harder for smugglers to operate and disrupts their networks.
In the UK, over 1,000 staff have been redeployed to immigration enforcement to clear the backlogs and make asylum decisions faster. By focusing on practical measures like increasing returns, clearing the backlog, and cooperating internationally, we are delivering results where the Conservatives failed for over a decade.
Tackling illegal migration is a big priority for me, and I fully support the Government’s commitment to fixing this broken system. We are taking strong, decisive action and demonstrating that we are serious about securing our borders.
📅 Upcoming surgeries:
📍 Whalley – Friday 7th February, 4.30-6.00pm
📍 Colne – Saturday 15th February, 4.00-5.30pm
To book an appointment, email: jonathan.hinder.mp@parliament.uk