Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Strickland Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people smugglers. [R]

[Alan Strickland (Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor) (Lab)]

9. What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people smugglers.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor General]

Developing controlled and managed routes for genuine refugees is important. This is one of a host of robust, concrete and practical measures that the Government are taking to crack down on the vile activities of people smuggling gangs. I contrast our approach with that of the Conservative party, which left us with this borders crisis, and with that of Reform, which is happy to stoke anger but has absolutely no answers.

[Alan Strickland]

To stop the small boats, it is crucial that the Labour Government provide global leadership to smash the criminal gangs. Can the Solicitor General set out the work that we are doing with other countries to secure our borders and end this appalling trade in human life?

[The Solicitor General]

My hon. Friend rightly highlights this Government’s global leadership on these issues, which is part of our plan to fix the borders crisis left to us by the last Government. We have agreed a landmark deal with France, and we have increased co-operation with Germany and other countries. We have removed 35,000 people with no right to be here, and increased the removal of failed asylum seekers by 30%. We are giving Border Security Command counter-terrorist-style powers through our borders Bill, which is a Bill that both Reform and the Conservative party voted against.