Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of illegal immigration on (a) society and (b) the economy.

Illegal immigration reduces our capability and capacity to help those who most need our support. It puts lives in danger by placing vulnerable people into the hands of smugglers. It also puts intolerable pressure on public services and local communities and corrodes public confidence in the system.

An example of the impact of illegal migration is that the asylum system is now costing the British taxpayer over £4 billion a year.

Our landmark Rwanda deal was a recognition of these facts, and we will continue to work to deliver it to break the business model of the smuggling gangs and deter those coming to the UK illegally.