Oral Answers to Questions

Warinder Juss Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

The Solicitor General was asked—

[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 (Lucy Rigby)]

Anyone involved in the vile trade of people smuggling will be met with the full force of the law. This year, 67% more offences for facilitating illegal entry into the UK were prosecuted. I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that the Government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will allow for more prosecutions, including by criminalising the creation of online material that facilitates a breach of UK immigration law.

[Warinder Juss]

I welcome the Government’s steps to deter people smuggling and end the exploitation of vulnerable people. I also want to highlight the work that Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary does in my constituency to help refugees rebuild their lives. As the Home Secretary confirmed only this week, one of the Government’s major reforms is developing controlled and managed routes for genuine refugees. Does the Solicitor General agree that having safe and legal routes for asylum seekers is a crucial step in undermining the business model of the people smuggling gangs?

[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.