Oral Answers to Questions

Martin Rhodes Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dame Angela Eagle]

I assure the hon. Member that we take action against those who break the rules by working illegally. Raids and arrests for illegal working are up 50% in the last year; civil penalties in the last quarter were at their highest rate since 2016; and we are taking action to close the gig economy loophole through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which he and his Conservative friends voted against.

[Martin Rhodes (Glasgow North) (Lab)]

T9.  What steps is the Home Office taking to ensure that Palestinian students awarded scholarships to UK universities can obtain visas and travel to the UK to take up their places?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Seema Malhotra)]

That is an important issue. I am working closely with the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), and the Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian authorities to identify safe routes by which British nationals and other eligible people can leave Gaza, or indeed the west bank, and so are able to obtain visas and travel to the UK.