Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department has had with their French counterparts on the forced eviction of of asylum seekers at the Grande-Synthe camp in Dunkirk.

Following the clearance of the ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais in 2016, French authorities have worked extensively to ensure that similar camps do not form across Northern France. This remains a domestic matter for the French and as such the British Government are not consulted prior to any clearances which take place. Following the closure of the Grande-Synthe camp, we were informed by French authorities that the migrants have been moved into asylum accommodation, where their claims will be considered and the necessary support will be provided.

In January 2018, the UK and France signed the Sandhurst Treaty, which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to prevent irregular migration and to the continued operation of the juxtaposed controls. Our cooperation with France includes joint work to improve security at the shared border in northern France; to reduce illegal migration flows towards northern French ports and to support France in returning migrants with no legal right to be in Europe.