Immigration Policy Debate

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Department: Home Office

Immigration Policy

Greg Smith Excerpts
Monday 9th March 2026

(1 day, 10 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alex Norris Portrait Alex Norris
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Of course we take a lens on reform. The hon. Lady will know that those seeking asylum cannot work in such environments, so they would not be germane to that conversation. We look very closely at the impacts of our policies and publish reviews at the appropriate moments.

Greg Smith Portrait Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con)
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The concept of paying someone who has come here illegally £40,000 to leave will stick in the throats of all taxpayers in this country. Notwithstanding the arguments that the Minister has put forward, what assessment has he made that making an offer of 40 grand will not act as a huge pull factor and cause more people to come here to collect our cash?

Alex Norris Portrait Alex Norris
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First of all, I can offer the hon. Gentleman some degree of comfort: this is a targeted pilot at this stage. It cannot act as a pull factor, because people will not be eligible for it. Other countries that offer money, including Denmark, are seeing their numbers go down, which can also give him a degree of comfort.